South American Garden Plants - Begonia

Name – The plant is dedicated to Frenchman Michel Begon, a patron of botany. Rather confusingly, Begon was governor of Barbados at the time that a botanist came to study begonias which had been imported to there – having enjoyed the governor’s excellent hospitality (and very good wine) on many occasions, the botanist named this South American plant after a Frenchman who was in charge of an island in the West Indies!

Description – showy flowers of white, pink, scarlet or yellow colour and often attractively marked leaves, especially in the rex form.

Origin – The begonias are under-shrubs which grow naturally in the subtropical and tropical moist climates of South and Central America. The different groups of begonias have different cultural requirements but most species come from tropical regions and therefore they and their hybrids require warm temperatures, especially in winter. Because their natural habitat is usually under a forest canopy, they often prefer bright shade although a few will tolerate full sun, it can damage and wilt the plant, particularly in warmer climates. In general, begonias require a well-drained growing medium. Although many begonias will grow and flower all year round, some tuberous begonias have a dormant period, during which the tubers should be stored in a cool dry place. Begonia rex is a sub-species grown for its beautifully coloured leaves rather than the flowers which may be somewhat insignificant The heart-shaped leaves may be up to a foot in length and have patterns in variations of red, black, silver and green often with a rippled or raised surface. Whichever the variety, begonias are easily propagated by division or from stem cuttings and some can be propagated from leaf cuttings or even sections of leaves, particularly the members of the rhizomatous and rex groups.

For Decoration - If you grow indoor begonias it’s important to water into the saucer the pot is resting in, to avoid rotting the stem.

South American begonia photograph by gailf548, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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