Photos shared online authentically show a species of a colorful begonia flower called the "Moonlight Butterfly."
Rating:
An image shared online in December 2024 allegedly showed a blue flower known as the "Begonia 'Moonlight Butterfly,'" whose leaves resemble butterflies. Another version of the image was posted on Facebook in September.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=570201962531030&set=a.509751181909442
Similarly, a separate image shared elsewhere in September showed the purported butterfly-shaped flowers, this time in different colors of pink. They were described as "a captivating display of dark, almost blackpink leaves adorned with intricate white veins, resembling the wings of a butterfly."
The post also said: "These striking begonias are perfect for adding a touch of drama and elegance to your indoor garden. They can be displayed on their own or combined with other plants for a colorful and vibrant arrangement."
However, there is no such plant known as the "Begonia 'Moonlight Butterfly,'" and the images shared in these posts show evidence of being digitally manipulated. Therefore, we have rated them as fake.
Amy Jo Detweiler, a horticulturist and professor at Oregon State University with flower expertise, told Snopes that the photos shared on social media were generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
The online AI detection tool Hive Moderation found that the image of the blue flower was 99.9% "likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content." True Media, another online AI detection tool, found it had "substantial evidence of manipulation." Those results are shown below:
(Hive/True Media Screenshots)
Similarly, for the pink version of the supposed begonia, Hive Moderation found that the image was 99.8% "likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content." True Media also determined that the image had "substantial evidence of manipulation." Again, those results are shown below:
The National Gardening Association's online database hosts information on more than 797,000 plants and includes more than 873,000 images, yet it does not include any begonias named "Moonlight Butterfly."
Likewise, the Royal Horticultural Society, the U.K.'s leading gardening charity, does not feature any such plant on its website.
Snopes previously fact-checked a similar fake image of the so-called "Midnight Ember" rose.
Dapcevich, Madison. "Photos Show Real Hybrid 'Midnight Ember' Rose?" Snopes, 24 Nov. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/hybrid-midnight-ember-rose/.
Search the RHS Website for Gardening Knowledge / RHS. https://www.rhs.org.uk/search?query=begonia+moonlight+butterfly&referrerPageUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rhs.org.uk%2F. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.