Joan, this site will let you post photos but you may have to switch to a different web browser. I cannot for the life of me post photos to GW and GW only from IE. I can do it in Firefox though.

Love the mallets but are they ever trouble come winter and mildew...

Yes, I remember if you look at them the wrong way they will mildew. However, Mrs. Kusler bred one, B. 'MiyoBerger', terr. size and grown that way it stayed small and I suspect it couldn't mildew. So I wonder what became of that one, I remember reading about it, but haven't heard of it in years. have a small clear plastic cap on my new one, just in case.

Yes, I believe you are right that mildew would not happen in a terrarium (unless it was already infected with mildew spores and then it may never bloom due to the warmth). My mentor grows all her begonias in a terrarium type environment and when they get too big, she gives it away but not until she takes a leaf or two and has them rooted. NO Mildew the way she grows them which makes sense.

I suspect a lot of oldies just died off due to no interest... Maybe you should reintroduce it? Except some folks might get it confused and call it Myoldburger (instead of Whataburger).

I've noticed a lack of Mallets in the marketplace too, Joan. I haven't heard of Miyo Berger in decades, and don't think I ever grew it when I had a huge collection of begonias. I'll bet you could find it though if you poked around with some emails to the California ABS branches.

I Googled it and didn't find any nurseries offering it.

Russ

There is a second small shoot showing on the plant I bought, think I will slip it out and put it in a terr. and see how it grows. I think there is a tendency to refer to the crosses of B. U062 as 'mallet like' because of the greenish or white spotst, but I don't think Mrs. Thompson would agree to that. Her description in the 1984 update lists B. U062 as shrublike, distinctive foliage, unusual surface and/or usual coloring. I think the 'mahogany red' coloring is mandatory to calling a mallet a mallet, or at least it must be a cane not a shrub, and this goes back to the late 19th century. I guess I am rambling so will stop.

Apparently these mallets have been crossed with something lacking color, if the light isn't strong the red disappears. It is the same as the big nursery which carries a few. So I guess these are not the old ones. Speaking of the big nursery, I bought a rhiz. with so-called pewter colored leaves. At first glance it looks as though it were covered with mildew, the color is that intense. The name is Begonia Shadow King Cool White, and hybridized at www,.bloomingadvantage.com in Oregon. They have other begonias but for retail only. One name I recognized is B. 'Gene Daniels', a large cane or shrub, popular I think because it is offered every year and it is the centerpiece of the large begonia display table at the big nursery.

94 degrees last Monday, then Tuesday 91, now cooler than normal temps ever since. Almost all outdoor plants stuffed back in the greenhouse for safety, and mildew all over the 'new' mallet types. Not surprising. I think the quick change in temperature triggers something in these plants, as though it is telling them they should get ready for dormancy and the tissues actually start dying. Wish I were still in botany class, it would make a good discussion.

Mallets can be a real hassle due to mildew. I've probably lost every one due to mildew in winter but they are beautiful growers in summer.

Never heard of Mallets. Pictures?

Larry,

Mallet canes are named after some Frenchman whose last name is Mallet (pronounced Ma - Lay) since I think he came off with the first hybrid between a cane and U062 (a Philippines species). The problem with these types of hybrids is they are very susceptible to mildew when the weather changes from warm (HOT) to cool. Mildew can appear at other times as well but usually in the fall is when you really start to notice serious problems.

Brad has a bit more information about the Mallet type begonias in his great web site.

http://www.bradsbegoniaworld.com/canes.htm

Some of the most popular type Mallet begonias are Sinbad, Don Miller, Maurice Amey, Benigo, Lynda Dawn, and several more. While very beautiful when growing well, they are frustrating to keep alive when mildew hits. Maybe brighter light in winter with more heat would help

According to the international database of begonias (far from complete) there are 43 types of Mallet begonias.

Here are a few of my favorites over the years out of my own pictures and plants I've grown.

Sinbad

Maurice Amey

Don Miller

Benigo

Lynda Dawn (The IDB does not list it as Mallet but one of its parents is (you guessed it) u062)

Another one that I think has U062 in it somewhere would be Looking Glass but it would be a bit more work to trace all its parents back (if they are all known).

Pink Minx should be considered as well since it also has U062 as a parent

Another one is Suzanne but I cannot find a match in the IDB for this cane that looks like a white version of Pink Minx. Anyway it looks like it may have some U062 in it as well

Finally U062 itself from a web site

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/zekehuang/media/Begonias/U062.jpg.html

The Mallet begonias have been around since about l884 and developed in France. A red Rex supposedly was one parent. There has been a lot written about them. See, for example, Charles Chevalier's translated book on begonias, it was translated by the begonia society and sold within the society in the 70's or 80's. I've read the name came from the family name or property which was named Mallet. etc., etc., etc.

Thanks hc, interesting. I quite like the look of UO62

What puzzles me, and I know there has been a lot of fussing about this over the years, has B. U062, a shrub, actually been identified as a mallet, a cane? Were the chromosomes ever examined/compared?

Woe, you tell me. The way I remember about Mallet is that it is a class of shrub/cane like hybrids of U062 and were named after blah-blah Mallet. U062 is just an unidentified cane/shrub from India (my mistake - thought I read somewhere it was from the Philippines). How many decades does it take botanists to screw in a light bulb? Seems like after 50 years they could put a name on some of these U numbers? U062 was described or collected in 1980!

Information is hard to find on the web about obscure plants and people. I'm sure there are some history books somewhere that might explain it. I'm just taking everything as "fact" until proven otherwise. There are two other canes/shrubs from the Philippines that look very similar to U062 if I remember correctly - U092 and U093 I think? According to the Houston site U062 is from India and the other two from the Philippines. Of course not a lot of information and even less pictures and then they can be scarce or very poor.

I didn't know Linda Dawn might be a Mallet, U062 certainly has gotten around in the last few decades. Also interesting that it's from India. I'm seeing spellings with 'i' and 'y' equally often. Maybe only Greg Sytch might know the true name.

It seems very easy to grow for a Mallet, and propagates with ease. This is another one that I'm wondering what is ultimate size of leaves and height. I'm growing several pots of it now.

Maurice Amey is slow and loses the occasional leaf to what I'm assuming is mildew. I'm babying my last small propagation of it, already lost the parent plant and a couple of other propagations. Meanwhile Linda Dawn is growing like wildfire.

Russ

Ok so who or what is UO that gives his/its name to the catalogue?

That is U - zero, not U-OH. Those are Unidentified begonias that no one knows if they are a species or a hybrid that are collected and brought back to the states. A lot of them are simply purchased at local flower shops in Asia for example.

Charles Jaros and Mary Bucholz are the current chairs who take care of the new U number assignments. You can buy a booklet of U numbers from the ABS store. When a U number is given a name then that number is retired. Charles will be giving a seminar on U numbers at the convention this year (L.A. in September)

For example: the Vietnamese begonia was U388 and at one time called B. longiciliata (long hair I think) but has been formally given the name after the woman who brought it to the states - Mary Sizemore and is now called Begonia sizemorea. Another one is the Guatemalan begonia (U434) and is now called B. barsalouxiae. Yeah some of the names are hard to spell and harder to pronounce. My last example shows how a begonia was given a U number but Ross Bowell of Australia said that begonia is a hybrid of the late John Clare and been a popular plant down under for years. So that U number was promptly given the name it is known as in Australia - B. 'Tangalooma'.

Hope this helps some.

Ah,U0. Makes sense. Thanks

Since you all seem to be fans of U062 and its children, the cross came about by B. dipetala x U062 and the progeny, B.sinbad, etc. are classified as thick stemmed. They produce both leaves and flowers in the same axil, so they should branch well. The reason I have these notes is because for a long while I have been looking for the missing 'sibling' B. 'burning bush', the only one from this cross to produce some color in its leaves. I would expect it to be spectacular but I am afraid it is not around anymore.

Love this thread. Just happened upon it. I think I now know the ID of these begonias I purchased at Home Depot over 3 years ago.
I also had severe mildew problems--almost to the point of death. They looked like dead stubs at the end of winter in my house under good light.
Then I changed from the worthless

Here's another. Not sure if it's a Mallet. Anyone know?

Good job quercusnut! Not sure if it is the soil but whatever helps. Darned mildew is a real problem for me in a basement which reminds me that I need to either switch back to Neem oil or order some more Milstop - they seem to help but I sure hate spraying indoors.

You first one reminds me of Benigo in a way but not sure that is it. Your last one looks like Little Miss Mummey (no danger of mildew death with it). Of course the other two are easy to ID.

Thanks for the IDs, hc. btw, I requested to join Planet Begonia a few days ago but it doesn't look like I've been accepted yet. Any ideas?

Wait and wait some more? Seems to take longer for the admin to get around to requests - I think he moderates several groups and should get some assistants to help. I think I read there are over 40,000 members there now.

The mallets have been around since the late 19th century. The 'bible' of the Begonia Society,(Begonias, The Complete Reference Guide by Mildred and Edward Thompson) reports most types have leaves with mahogany-red foliage with red hairs. . .stems of some are not perfectly strraight but rather angular, . . . pinching is essential because there is a tendency to become bare at the base of the plants. Since stems are not as strong as those of other cane-like begonias more staking is required to support stems and to improve symmetry". There seems to be a tendency to use the name 'mallets' on other types so there will be confusion.

Looking Good there Kyle.

Thanks, hc. Can't wait for spring. Planning to grow the hounddog out of these babies. See how big I can get 'em.

You will have to keep us posted on their progress. I know that they grow like gangbusters in the heat and humidity of our climate. I've had better luck with my own mallets this winter (so far). I attribute that to really cutting back on the water indoors and spraying for mildew through the growing season. Knock on wood.

Does anyone know where to find a list of the original Malletts?

My old 1981 copy of Begonias by Mildred and Ed Thompson lists Mallets of the day as the following...

Annabelle

Arthur Mallet

Faustine

Gloire de Jouy

Grace Lucas

Margaritacea

Melisse

Miyo Berger

Tingley Mallet

Apparently Gloire de Jouy was the first Mallet cultivar, introduced by Lionnet in Jouy-en-Josas, France in 1884.

I have Linda Dawn which certainly looks like a Mallet type, perhaps a newer hybrid but I don't know the category for it. HC?

Russ

Thank you!! Interesting.

Russ,

I consider Lynda Dawn as a mallet type which is very mildew prone - UGH. Seems like Brad Thompson had a lot of canes listed as a mallet (they had a Philippine species as a parent - U062 and/or U092/93?) years ago but his website has been taken down before he passed. It may be on the ABS website today but I cannot find it. They do have his book for sale though.

I guess I've been very lucky as I've never had mildew. Must that they're mostly outside in the fresh air, same thing with Lucerna which I know is usually a mildew magnet. I'm not sure I heard about Brad passing, might have if it was years ago and I've just forgotten.

I obtained a plant of cane White Ice this summer and noticed this evening it is on the cover of a 2005 Begonian issue with hybridizing credit going to a Charles McGough. This name rings a small bell, do you know where he lives and anything about his hybrids?

Caribbean King continues to amaze me with its size, strength and durability. Several have rooted in the ground thru drain holes and become very large, sprawling rhizomes rooting directly in the ground. Next spring I'll find a place in the ground for popenoei as I'm tired of moving it to ever-larger pots, I'll take a chance on freezes. I do love these big rhizomatous types, in spite of the room they require.
Thanks,
Russ

It must be nice to grow in the ground. And not have any mildew? Shut the front door!

I think Charles McGough is from Texas. I got Cracked Ice from PHOE but I have a feeling it is the same thing as White Ice. It has been up and down over the years depending on how much care I give it (like more sun than more shade).

C. King was a giant for me when I had it in an 18" pot. And it is a landscape plant at Fairchild Tropical Gardens.

Cracked Ice in 2017 after I cut it back hard in the winter.

C. King in 2005 before it was frost bit in November.

and at Fairchild Gardens (last of March, 2006)

Interesting photos, now I'm wondering if I actually have Caribbean King. Note the lack of lobing on my plants, whereas lobes on Fairchild plants are fairly deep. Maybe just differences in clones??

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Frustrating, trying to post the pics and not working. I'll keep trying to edit and add.

Russ