The star of this article is the begonia, which is found in the interior of Borneo, Malaysia and is named after a character in a famous science fiction movie. The black leaves, just like Sarawak coffee, have a velvety, silver-rimmed surface. Because of its name and unique appearance, this begonia is very popular. In cultivation, it is somewhat delicate that its leaves can suddenly dissolve. Although its native habitat is inland, the altitude is not so high, around 200 meters, but it seems that high temperature and strong light should be avoided from the fact that it grows wild in the lower to middle part of a dimly lit valley. Here, the plant is growing in conditions of about 700 lux of illumination, temperature of about 23°C and humidity of at least 80%, and was photographed three and a half months after planting. There are many attractive species of begonias, including this species, with a variety of leaf patterns and shapes to be enjoyed in DOOA’s glass aquariums.

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Neo Glass Air W20 x D20 x H30 (cm)
■Jungle Base
■Jungle Soil
■Yougan Stone
■Begonia darthvaderiana

The normally dark brown leaves appear in bright red when the light hits them from behind. It is this kind of coloring that will make fans of Begonia darthvaderiana so excited.

This time, we started with tissue culture strains. We are also testing cultivation of the more difficult species in search of conditions that will allow them to grow more easily.

I carefully handled the delicate plants and planted them not to damage the roots and stems.