A brittle herb that escapes cultivation. Native to Colombia and Venezuela, where it thrives in shaded areas with abundant moisture. Often cultivated in hanging baskets, the fern-leaf begonia has spread from original plantings to moist forests on the Big Island and into native dominated habitat at Mount Ka’ala, Oahu.

It was seen growing out of a thick patch of uluhe on Stainback road, Hawaiʻi indicating its ability to thrive in low light conditions. Stems fragments easily break when pulled, creating new plants vegetatively. Joseph Rock documented this plant naturalizing in 1917. It is sparingly naturalized in moist valleys in Hawaiʻi.

Description and Dispersal:

• Mat forming herb
  
• Two ranked leaves fern-like leaves
  
• Succulent, red stems
  
• Pink to white colored flowers are present year round
  
• Seeds are dispersed by birds and humans