Introduction to The Begonia
A bewildering array and breathtaking beauty of its foliage and flowers define begonias, a home gardener's joy and a landscape artist's pride. Begonias are easy to grow and one can enjoy them outdoors or as houseplants.

Genus and History of the Begonia
Succulent herbs and woody shrubs, the genus Begonia belongs to the family Begoniaceae. Begonias are native to South and Central America, Africa, and South Asia. In 1690,a Franciscan monk, a botanist, discovered a few plants in the West Indies. He named them after his patron, the Governor of Haiti, Michel Begon. Today, more than a 1000 species of begonia have been identified.

Description and Popular Types of Begonias
Begonias are prized for their ornamental appeal. Of great interest to gardeners are their blooming period, flowers both single and clustered, leaf designs and colors. Begonia plants are of many sizes, ranging from miniature terrarium sizes to giants towering over eight feet. Depending on their size, their growing patterns also differ.

The leaves of the begonia range from simple to compound leaves and these can be either smooth or lobed. Their distinctive trait is that if the leaves on one side of a branch have the bigger lobe on one side of the leaf, then the leaves on the other side of the branch have the larger lobe on the opposite side. Begonia flowers are normally white, scarlet and pink.

There are of so many varieties that begonias are classified on their root types, which are the rhizomatous, tuberous, fibrous and the tree kinds. Each of these has smaller groups. The popular types are many. The Rex begonia, a rhizomatous begonia, is an East Indian plant that has coarsely textured, silver and bronze colored foliage. It is the' King' variety of begonias for 'rex' means king. It has a kaleidoscope of colors on its leaves. Beefsteak begonias have round fleshy leaves. The star begonias have star shaped leaves. They belong to the rhizome group of begonias. B. cocchinea, popularly called angel wing begonias are fibrous rooted and are native to South America. They have coral red leaves and basal leaf lobes. B. sempenflorens, meaning ever blooming, are fibrous rooted begonias with broad ovate leaves ranging from green to brown to dark red leaves. Their flowers are small pink or white in color. These are annuals or perennials based on climatic zones.

These are known as wax begonias. Cane- like stemmed, the velvety hirsute, and the trailing begonias also are fibrous rooted.B. dragei or grape leaf begonia are tuberous and they produce small white flowers and have lobed ovate leaves. The tuberous begonias are for the outdoors. They require sunny locations and also cool, fresh air. B.metallica are valued for their showy flowers and decorative foliage. B. rosae produce large, gorgeous blooms of many colors and are treasured for ornamental value. Christmas begonias are hybrids grown for their large flowers in winter.

Growing tips

Climate for Growing Begonias
It is advisable to choose the right begonia species for various places in the United States based on the USDA plant hardiness classification.

Soil for Begonias
Begonias require rich porous and well draining soil. Ph levels of the soil can be mildly acidic (6.1-6.5) or acidic (5.6-6). For tuberous begonias, soil ratio could be one part loam, 1/2 river sand, ½ sieved compost, and ¼ part charcoal.

Planting Begonias
Begonias should be planted1'' inch deep and 8-12' apart. The hollow side of the tuber should be pointed up. They should be covered with only ½ inch of earth.

Light needed for Growing Begonias
Begonias cannot tolerate too much sunlight. Semi shade to shade is recommended.

How to Water Begonias
Keep plants barely moist, but poor watering can cause leaf dropping. Watering at the ground level of the plant is advised rather than overhead.

Fertilizing Begonias
Enrich soil with a complete garden fertilizer. Some varieties can be fertilized from summer to early with liquid seaweed.

Pest control
Leaf miners, thrips and mite attacks can be killed with resmethrin. Begonias are prone to botrytis, fungal attacks and powdery mildew.

Care while growing, flowering, and after flowering.
To obtain bushy plants, varieties like angel wing begonias need to be pinched during growing period. During the blooming period, keep soil moist but do not over water. Fertilize once a month. By alternating between outdoors and indoors, many species grown in containers can flower all through the year. Tuberous begonia enjoys winter dormancy. After flowering, tubers can be lifted, dried and stored in a dry, cool place for the next season. Plants that will remain outdoors, place them under bushy plants to protect from harsh winter conditions. In spring divide healthy sections and repot in garden beds. Propagation of begonias is by cutting of tuber shoots of 3-4'' tall, through leaf cuttings and division of rhizomes.

Begonias in beds, as borders, in hanging baskets, window boxes, and in containers make the outdoors and indoors so magnificent that they are true beauties of Nature. If you have any other questions about begonias that we didn't address please feel free to contact us!

If you like Begonias.....These pages might also interest you:

Allium Directory, Amaryllis Directory, Begonia Directory, Crocus Directory, Daffodils Directory, Dahlia Directory, Hyacinth Directory, Iris Directory, Lily Directory, Tulip Directory