Beguiling Begonias

Winter doesn’t have to be bleak. Add vibrant color to your home with the versatile begonia.

Add a touch of the tropics to your winter windowsill by growing some begonias this year. There are many types to choose from, ranging from those known for their exotic foliage to those with stunning flowers and some that offer a bit of both. Good garden centers and greenhouses have these beauties in stock now for the holidays.

They make great gifts for the plant lover in your life.

A bevy of begonias

The begonia family is vast and varied with almost two thousand different species and just as many hybrids. Some are great for summer, needing a rest in winter; others start to shine as cold weather approaches; and some present beautiful foliage year-round. One thing all begonias have in common is their need for lightly moist, welldrained soil. “Sitting in soggy soil is certain death for a begonia,” says Stuart Hammer, Life Member of the American Begonia Society. “My first begonia was an Iron Cross rex begonia I found in a small greenhouse in Connecticut in 1976. On New Year’s Day, 1977, I went to Logee’s Greenhouse in Danielson, Connecticut, and was amazed to find over a hundred different varieties, especially rexes, rhizomatous types and canes. I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Hammer now has an eighteen-foot-bytwenty-seven-foot greenhouse filled with about six hundred begonias and gesneriads, his other passion.

Working with begonias

Many have grown wax begonias outside in your shady flower beds and containers where they happily blossom all summer long. This trait has earned them the Latin name Begonia semper florens, which means “ever blooming.”

The flowers are usually red, white or pink, and the waxy foliage can be a glossy green or bronze. Although these begonias can spend the winter on a bright windowsill, indoor life is stressful for them, and they are best grown as annuals.

Tuberous begonias grow from a bulb-like tuber. They have showy, fully double, camellia-like flowers that can be up to five inches across, and bloom in a range of colors from red, pink and white to yellow, apricot and orange. Some have an upright habit—growing between two to three feet tall—great for container growing. Others cascade one to two feet, making them perfect for hanging baskets.

Blossoming from early summer into fall, tuberous begonias are sure to brighten up a shady spot. Since they require a period of winter dormancy, they are not good candidates for indoor growing. In fall, their foliage yellows and dies back, signaling it is time to rest. The tubers can be dug up before a frost, dried in a sunny spot and saved over the winter, ready to replant next spring. Hammer says, “To winter over the tubers, clean them and put them in a paper bag with some dry peat moss, and store in a cool place.”

Fibrous or cane begonias have thick segmented stalks, growing either tall and upright or trailing. Their foliage is stunning, and they offer a multitude of flower colors. This variety can grow from six to twelve inches tall up to five feet tall, flower all year round, and never go dormant. Fibrous begonias can get leggy as they age but respond well to pruning any time of year. This class of begonias, which includes the popular angel wing types, is one of Hammer’s favorites. Two varieties he recommends are pink-flowering Sophie Cecile and Cracklin’ Rosie, which has dark curly leaves with pink spots.

Although she is surrounded by outstanding plants every day, Quenby Jaus, retail manager at Wentworth Greenhouses & Garden Center in Rollinsford, recommends silvery leaved Gryphon, a hybrid cane-type. “I brought one indoors last winter,” she says, “it was amazing and super easy to grow.”

Rhizomatous begonias are the largest group. They have thick stems called rhizomes that grow horizontally near the surface of the soil. The roots and leaves sprout from these stems. They are known for their dramatically patterned, highly textured leaves. In winter, they send out stalks with clusters of small flowers.

“Many begonias blossom in the winter, and their blooms are pretty, but not spectacular like a Rieger or tuberous begonia,” Hammer says. He has some favorites in the rhizomatous class, including River Nile, which has chartreuse leaves with ruffled red edges, and the beefsteak begonia Erythrophylla, a reliable hybrid dating back to 1845, with shiny dark green leaves and red undersides.

Rex begonias are a subgroup of rhizomatous begonias. They are a popular houseplant or can be grown outside in summer in a shady location. Sometimes called painted leaf begonias, they have striking foliage with swirls of color and unusual patterns. There are many hybrids, but you may be familiar with Iron Cross, the plant that started Hammer’s obsession with begonias. It has pebbly textured, light-green leaves marked with a dark Maltese cross shape in the center. Another popular rex is Escargot, which has unique spiral leaves like a snail’s shell. “Rexes need humidity to avoid leaf edges turning brown,” Hammer says. To add humidity around the plants, he recommends growing them on a pebble tray. “Don’t mist them,” he cautions. “Begonias are susceptible to powdery mildew if the leaves are kept wet.” Wentworth Greenhouses offers assorted rex begonias year-round.

Rieger begonias are a hybrid of tuberous and wax begonias. They flower off and on all year round, but blossom especially well in winter. Their leaves are dark glossy green; the bright blossoms in white, yellow, pink, red, salmon or purple are spectacular and can be single or double flowered. “We carry the Rieger begonias year-round,” Jaus says. “They are a popular plant during the holiday season and winter for a pop of color. They are fairly low maintenance and can bloom for a couple of months.” Riegers are day-length and temperature-sensitive, needing short days and cool temperatures to bloom their best. Remove spent flowers as they fade, and trim the foliage to maintain the plant’s shape and size. Feed Riegers monthly with a low-nitrogen fertilizer when they bud or are in bloom. Keep the soil consistently moist; if the flowers wilt, they may not recover.

The American Begonia Society

A word of caution—it is easy to become hooked on begonias and want to collect them all, an impossible but enjoyable quest! Consider joining the American Begonia Society, a group of plant-lovers that has been around since 1932. It publishes a bi-monthly journal with articles and photos. The society does not have a branch in New Hampshire, but its Buxton branch caters to begonia lovers in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Because most members live in Massachusetts, branch meetings are held monthly at the Christa McAuliffe Library in Framingham. They offer programs about begonias, and members bring in plants for sale and share expert advice.

Meetings are temporarily on hold due to COVID-19 but will resume when conditions allow. To make up for the lack of in-person meetings, the American Begonia Society is offering virtual education programs via Zoom. If you would like to establish a branch in New Hampshire, it only takes seven like-minded begonia lovers to start. See begonias.org for more information. NHH

Tips for Growing Healthy Happy Begonias

• Begonias grow best in temperatures between 60–70°.

They don’t like dry heat, so add humidity around them by growing on a tray of moist pebbles.

• Begonias need bright, indirect light. They prefer an east- or west-facing window. Keep them out of direct sunlight.

• Fertilize your begonias with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season, spring through summer.

• Begonias should be grown in a well-draining potting mix. Soilless mixes or those formulated for African violets work well.

• Allow the top inch of the soil to dry out between waterings. Don’t overwater or let the pots sit in a wet saucer.

• Keep plants away from your dogs and cats. Unfortunately, the ASPCA lists all begonias as toxic to pets.

RESOURCES

American Begonia Society • begonias.org

Buxton Branch • buxtonbegonia.org

Logee’s Greenhouse • (860) 774-8038 • logees.com

Christa McAuliffe Branch Library • (508( 532-5636 framinghamlibrary.org/mcauliffe-branch

Wentworth Greenhouses • (603) 743-4919 wentworthgreenhouses.com