Wikimedia Commons
Begoniaceae
Tuberous Begonia
Begonia x tuberhybrida
Gratitude, beware, dramatic beauty.
- Family
- Begoniaceae
- Genus
- Begonia
- Native to
- Hybrid origin (Andean parents)
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- Tender tuberous perennial
- Height
- 20–45 cm (8–18 in)
- Sunlight
- Part shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 9–11
- Lifespan
- Tender perennial
Did you know
- Tuberous begonias are bred to produce massive double flowers up to 6 inches across—they look exactly like camellias or rosebuds and are some of the showiest blooms grown in shade gardens.
- Modern tuberous begonias all descend from a handful of wild Andean species discovered in the 1860s by Richard Pearce, a Cornish plant hunter for the famous Veitch nursery.
- Each plant produces both 'male' (showy double) and 'female' (smaller single) flowers—gardeners often pinch off the females to direct all the plant's energy into the spectacular males.
- Tuberous begonias bloom in shade where almost nothing else this colorful will grow—they're the queens of hanging baskets, window boxes, and porch displays in cool damp summers.
- The tubers can be saved and replanted year after year—dig in fall, store dry over winter, and replant in spring; a single tuber can live for decades, getting larger every year.
Color meanings
0
gratitude
1
beware
2
dramatic beauty