A perennial form of Begonia grows well with regular watering in the hot summer and displays beautiful late season flowers.
One edge of my patio is an island of shrubs and plants to screen out the neighbors. Don’t get me wrong, our neighbors are very nice people.
We help each other whenever we’re in need. It’s the kind of connection that makes me feel the world is all right.
Properties are small in our area. It’s nice to have a sense of privacy even though the sound of our voices can be heard through the layers that separate us.
There are two layers. One is a six foot high wood fence that divides our property from two different yards on the south side. This is the hardscape or backdrop for shrubs.
In the second layer, two purple leaf sand cherries anchor the ends of the garden island. Growing below them are assorted shade loving plants.
Bordering the side closest to the patio: hardy Azalea, Japanese painted fern, Heucheras, Foam plant, and Solomon’s seal.
The island entices us to come out from our back door view for a closer look. Sitting in chairs next to all that greenery makes us feel like we’re in the woods.
The newest addition to the island border is a perennial or hardy Begonia. It’s almost right in the middle of the lineup.
Nothing else I have tried in that spot has survived. Perhaps the spot has poor soil or is too sunny, too dry.
Maybe the dog has cut through plants in this area one too many times. He’s made his own easy access to the patio from that side of the yard.
I guess I could have placed a statue or some large rocks in that space. They don’t need any nurturing, don’t care if the dog brushes by!
I really like to see plants growing: leaves blowing in the wind, flowers open to catch the little bit of sun allowed by the shrubs. Planting Begonia grandis is another attempt to complete the island border.
Results are good so far. A lucky find from a garden store, hardy Begonia was planted in midsummer. It was a find because it’s not sold in too many garden centers or nurseries here.
Compost added to the soil, mulch on top and frequent watering helped this plant withstand several sessions of extreme heat already.
Right now it is flowering profusely, the only plant to do so. Gorgeous pink disks like dangling earrings hang over hardy Begonia’s large green leaves.
The disks open to pretty pink flowers with yellow centers. One flower has four petals: two large on top and bottom, two small on either side of the center like little wings.
Since the rest of the border plants bloom earlier in the season, hardy Begonia’s flowers bring new life to this space. Its show enhances the various leaf shapes and colors of the other plants.
I encourage growth of this plant in hopes of seeing new ones sprout nearby from the little bulbs it produces.
Features
Native to: Tropical Regions of the world: Africa, Central and South America, Southeast Asia.
Name refers to: Begonia grandis is commonly called hardy Begonia or perennial Begonia. A French botanist, Charles Plumier named the genus to honor Michael Begon, a French public official.
Zones: 6-9
Leaves: Off-center heart shape, medium green on top side, pale green with red veins on bottom side.
Blooms: Late summer to early fall. Flowers are pink with yellow centers, hanging in clusters.
Tiny bulbs called bulbils, form from the flowers. The bulbils drop in late fall to root and produce new plants next year.
Height: 1.5 feet – 2 feet
Width: 1.5 feet – 2 feet
Grows from: Tubers that develop roots. Also produces bulbils which generate new plants.
One of the last plants to come up in the spring. Mark the spot in case you forget what is growing just beneath the surface of the soil.
Care
- Sunlight: Part Shade to Full Shade.
- Soil: Well drained containing lots of organic material. Compost supplies this material.
- Water: Regular watering especially during drier times in summer.
- Fertilize: Add compost yearly.
- Surviving winter: Mulch heavily in Zone 6 to protect the tuber from freezing and dying.
Problems/Pests
No serious problems beyond getting too dry in summer or freezing in Zone 6 winters.
Uses
Great in shade gardens and shady borders. One gardener I met said they grow well without any attention in heavy shade close to her house. Naturalize these in wooded areas of your yard.
References
University of Maryland Extension
Copyright Juli Seyfried 2019
