Rex begonia vs Table fern

Begonia rex · Pteris cretica

Pet safety: Table fern is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs; Rex begonia is toxic (soluble calcium oxalates). If the two are sold under the same name, a mislabelled plant is a genuine risk in a house with animals.

Why these two get mixed up

Table fern is recorded here as a pet-safe alternative to Rex begonia, so the question is usually whether the swap is actually a fair one.

Rex begonia (Begonia rex) — **Rex begonia** — Begonia rex. Photograph by NasserHalaweh, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 4.0.

Table fern (Pteris cretica) — **Table fern** — Pteris cretica. Photograph by naturewatchwidow, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY 4.0.

	Rex begonia	Table fern
Scientific name	Begonia rex	Pteris cretica
Family	Begoniaceae	Pteridaceae
Light floor	Low	Low
Water	5–10 days	3–7 days
Humidity floor	50%	50%
Mature height	8–18 in	12–24 in
Habit	clumping	clumping
Growth rate	moderate	moderate
Difficulty	Demanding	Moderate
Toxic to pets	Yes	No
Typical price	$12–40	$12–35

Highlighted cells are where the two actually differ. Everything else they share.

The differences that matter

Pet safety

This is the difference that matters most. Table fern is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs; Rex begonia is toxic (soluble calcium oxalates). If the two are sold under the same name, a mislabelled plant is a genuine risk in a house with animals.

Not even related

Rex begonia is Begoniaceae, Table fern is Pteridaceae. They share a shop label and nothing else — different families, different continents, different care.

Which should you buy?

With a cat or dog in the house, take Table fern. The other is toxic, and if the shop label is wrong you will not know which you have brought home.
In a dim room, take either — both have a low light floor.
If you forget to water, take Rex begonia, which goes 7 days between drinks.
If it is your first plant, take Table fern, at 3 of 5.
For a small shelf, take Rex begonia, which stops around 18 inches.

Full entries

Rex begonia — care fields with sources, toxicity with every authority consulted, propagation and diagnosis. Table fern — the same.

Sources

This database's own care records for Begonia rex and Pteris cretica — every figure compared above.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families for Begonia rex and Pteris cretica
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxicity classification for both, cited on each species entry
Photographs: Wikimedia Commons, individually credited and licensed above

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Every comparison above is drawn from a recorded field. Where the honest distinguisher is visual we show both photographs rather than describing a leaf we have no field for. How this is sourced.