Striking rex with black and dark green leaves with a central bold splash of rich red; Begonia profile: B. 'Woodriff's Tricolor' by Thelma O'Reilly Christmas is the time to share special joys with friends. I have chosen Begonia 'Woodriff's Tricolor' for December because its brilliant beauty adds so much joy to my collection. I acquired this distinctive begonia more than two years ago. At that time, it was 4 inches high, growing in a 2- inch plastic pot. It thrived and was transplanted into a shallow redwood container before it was one year old. B. 'Woodriff's Tricolor' is a joy to behold, taking top billing among B. rex cultivars which are famous for their beautiful foliage. Its satiny, firm-textured leaves have a narrow center zone of black which is bordered by a vivid red zone, the red zone merging into a bright green zone which is overlaid with scattered silver spots sometimes flushed pink, and a narrow black band borders the entire leaf. All the color zones merge outward and downward toward the narrowly pointed leaf apex. The large leaves, which measure 9 inches by 12 inches, ripple deeply and the margins are tightly fluted. It never ceases to amaze me that so little is discussed or written about the outstanding beauty of the flowers on B. rex cultivars. Color and form of their floral loveliness surpasses nearly all other begonias except the tuberhybrida group. The flowers of B. 'Woodriff's Tricolor' are an added joy, not only because of their beauty but because of their everblooming habit. The 2 ½” pistillate flower has five large tepals which are brilliant rose pink; peduncle, pedicel, ovary and wings are the same color. Two wings are small and one of them always divides into a second portion of wing; the third wing is large and ribbed. Style and stigma are fused, extending over one-half inch from the tepals and giving the appearance of a miniature butterfly in flight-a butter- fly whose wings are painted brilliant pink with orange highlights and are edged with yellow velvet ruffles. Because of this unique stigmatic form, I have had no success using this begonia as a female parent. About 75 percent of the pistillate blooms have an "added accessory" that captures the heart. It is a delicate jewel, composed of a wee bit of all parts of the flower, and it dangles teasingly. The 2-inch staminate flower has four tepals, two outer ones deep rose, two inner ones light pink. The prominent stamens are yellow-orange. B. 'Woodriff's Tricolor' is so easy to grow that it encouraged me to increase my collection of B. rex cultivars. It develops luxuriant growth year-round. In mid-October, as most begonias are preparing for' a season of rest, this begonia is flaunting many plush, red growing tips. It prefers a loose potting mix consisting of equal parts of leaf mold (or a rich commercial planting mix), fine orchid bark, medium orchid bark and No. 3 perlite. I add Osmocote (12-12- 12) to the top of the mix every three months. It has proved pest free in the glasshouse and' under protected outdoor growing conditions. It is mildew resistant and propagates quickly from leaf cuttings and leaf wedges. Leslie Woodriff hybridized B. 'Woodriff's Tricolor' in 1976. It bears Registration No. 697. The registration form lists parentage as "unknown." I feel B. 'Merry Christmas' must be part of its heritage because there is a colorful resemblance.
