What a coincidence Jacquie! I had been planning for long to post mine here asking for confirmation as I had found its ID on the web.
Begonia ricinifolia was what I came upon.
I got it in a strange way..a bit more than a year ago in the middle of June I visited a second hand shop in town and my eye fell on a Begonia on the window sill, that looked old and neglected, nevertheless it was love on first sight. The gorgeous red scales on its leaf stems, the vibrant green of the leaves and the very pretty gracious pink flowers. I HAD to have the plant!
I kindly asked the unfriendly looking saleswoman if I could buy it, nope she said with a stern face, it is property of the shop. OK I said, but then can I just have one leaf pleaaaase? Another irritated nope! I managed to get out the shop without giving in to my intention to sneakily steal a leaf when she turned her back!
It didn't let me lose though, I had to have that plant! I knew there were several people working in that shop and with some luck it would be some else on another day. And yes, it was some else, a friendly one this time! When I kindly asked again for a leaf she smiled and said of course!
So I quickly rushed home with my precious treasure, I had taken a medium sized leaf with stem, I put it in a small vase with water. It really took a long time, about a month and a half, before it made its first tiny roots. When these were around 2 cm long I potted it up.
After a long time, last winter inside the house, I saw a tiny leaf appearing at the base of the leaf stem..
From then on it grew at a rather fast rate and I now am the proud owner of a beautiful and very healthy plant!
Janet, it made a baby so I potted that up for you if you like..
