The Humble Begonia

From the Website of
The American Begonia Society

You know the cute little flowers that your grandmother put in her garden as an annual?  That is the Humble Begonia.  But it really is not as humble as you would think.  This little Begonia is part of a genus that has 1500 species and is the sixth-largest angiosperm genus. Not that you really wanted to know that but I thought it highlight the importance of this little "disposable" plant.  It is from the subtropics much like the Gardenias that we spoke about last time.  It is commonly called a Wax Begonia though its proper name is a Semperfloren.

Why Talk About An Annual In Houseplants?

Because it is it did not start out as a garden annual.  The Semperfloren is a shrub which is one of four divisions of Begonias. In areas where there is no danger of frost the Wax Begonia will continue to grow year round.  Many will also do very well indoors as a ever-blooming houseplant.   These little plants and other Begonia's like the Angel Wing Begonia have been staples in the English Conservatories and Greenhouses for years.  In fact there has been a National Begonia Society in the UK since 1945.  The Angel Wing Begonia is the closest in looks but it usually is collected for its beautiful foliage.  If you look at my Board on Pinterest I have shown two different examples of the beautiful Angel Wing.  Below you will see a Begonia that has the waxy look of a Semperfloren but the leaf shape more angel like.  I do believe that this is a Wax Begonia because of the size of the flowers.

So How Do You Take Care Of Your Begonia?

Taken at Rockledge Gardens, Rockledge, Florida

The best time to buy a Begonia is the Spring for obvious reason.  You can let them summer outside but I would not put them in bright sun or in the ground.  The reason for this is because when you bring them inside it will take longer for your plant to acclimate itself to its new home.  If you have a greenhouse window your Begonia will be very happy there.  Southern windows make nice homes, as well as a Western or Eastern. Since you can buy Semperfloren in six packs go ahead and try different locations throughout your home.  If your plant is getting too much sun, It will have burn marks on its leaves and if there is not enough sun, then it will get tall and lanky with leaves being sparse.

Flower of a Rhizomatous  Begonia
which we will talk about another time

Now for watering. 

Like many of the plants we have spoken about in this blog, the Begonia does not like wet feet.  In other words, too much water is a bad thing.  The best way to water is to place it on top of a saucer like you did your Gardenia. Water from above and let the excess fill the sauce below.  Make sure that the pot stays above the waterline.  A larger saucer will create a micro climate for humidity that most Begonias like.  Do not over water.

One last thing. 

 Begonias like to be a little pot bound.  If you place them in too large of a container they may die. If your plant is staying wet too long and looking peaked, then this might be the problem. Repot into a container that is the same size as the root ball after you have removed all the wet soil.  Use a good soil-less potting mixture for the best results. 

Well that is all for today.  Next time I will tell you about the Rhizomatous Begonia which is grown more for its beautiful leaves rather than its flowers.  The flowers are small and almost inconsequential as you can see if you again go to my Board on Pinterest .  I have added one more link for you to use as I have found it very useful Brad's Begonia World . Until next time I hope that this blog give you a home greener than before.

Please email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com or add your comments below.  If you need special help you can contact me through Fiverr where we can set up a consultation through Skype or a phone conversation.   

k.k.jones