Flower profile
Bearded begonia
Begonia hirtella
Bearded begonia is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In Hawaii it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Begonia hirtella, the bearded begonia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Begoniaceae. It is native to Jamaica, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and southern Brazil, and has been introduced to many tropical locales around the world. People apply its juices to their skin to treat itchiness from insect bites.
- It belongs to the Begoniaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 703 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #68 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
Bearded begonia gift ideas
Handmade bearded begonia gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Bearded begonia art print
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Bearded begonia greeting card
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Bearded begonia mug
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Bearded begonia earrings
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Bearded begonia embroidery pattern
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Bearded begonia sticker
When does it bloom?
In Hawaii, most flowering sightings come in January–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Hawaii
- Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. HAR 13-107
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Begonia” (Begonia spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Kidney failure (in grazing animals), vomiting, salivation in dogs/cats. Most toxic part is… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records bearded begonia in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida, Hawaii.
Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Maui.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile BEHI2.
- iNaturalist, Begonia hirtella: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Begonia hirtella (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
- Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Begonia hirtella (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Yj via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.