[3] A common garden plant and part of the section Begonia, it was described in 1805 by Carl Ludwig Willdenow (1765–1812).

[4] The plant is an upright growing, herbaceous perennial that has almost symmetrical succulent pale green to pale reddish brown leaves that are ovate, glabrous 4–8 cm long and 6 cm wide, with edged, glossy and toothed crenation.

[5] Grown as a groundcover, the flowers of the plant are red, pink or white that bloom in the summer or year-round in warmer places, and the fruits have three wings.

The plant may invade waysides, deforested areas, overgrazed pastureland, and wastelands.

Indoors, they can thrive in a south- or east-facing window, provided they are acclimated when their environment is changed.