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DESCRIPTION:
Begonias are found wild in South and Central
America and many are native to India and other tropical countries. Begonias
are grouped into seven classifications: Cane-stemmed - frost tender, grown
mainly for their pretty, heart-shaped leaves; Rex-cultorum - grown for
their decorative foliage. Needs a 70- to 75-degree temperature; Rhizomatous
- grown for their attractive leaves and/or blossoms. Needs around a 66-degree
temp. and water from below; Semperflorens - grown for their clusters of
rounded flowers. Plant when danger from frost has passed; Shrub-like -
grown for their leaves and habit of growth. Needs humidity and bright light
in the winter to intensify leaf color; Tuberous - grown for exhibition,
as pot plants, or for summer flower beds. The tuberous Begonias have large
underground tubers and flowers in almost every shade. Some flowers have
frilled petals, some are crested. They can be about 15 inches in height
with large, glossy leaves. They will die in the fall but will send up new
shoots in the spring. Some Tuberous Begonias are nice to plant in hanging
baskets because they grow long, thin shoots and produce clusters of flowers;
Winter-flowering - have bronze-green leaves and tons of flowers during
the winter. One Begonia from each group will be described below; others
will be mentioned in the varieties section.
Cane-stemmed - B. 'Orpha C. Fox'
is an erect-growing plant, which has evergreen, oval leaves, growing up
to 6 inches long. They are gray-green, splotched with silver and maroon
beneath. Its single, rose-pink flowers grow up to 1½ inches across
and are produced in little bunches, in the summer mainly.
Rex-cultorum - B. 'Merry Christmas'
grows erect, from 10 to 12 inches high, and produces beautiful heart-shaped
leaves, 6 to 8 inches long. They are bright red, edged in emerald green
with a reddish-pink center. The single flowers grow ½-inch across
and are pale rose-pink. They are produced sparsely from fall to early winter.
This plant is mainly grown for its gorgeous leaves.
Rhizomatous - The Iron Cross Begonia,
(Begonia masoniana) has evergreen, warty, oval-/heart-shaped leaves, which
grow up to 8 inches long. They are dark green with red hairs and are marked
by bands of dark brown with a central mark that is cross-shaped.
Semperflorens - These bushy, compact
plants are commonly called "Wax Begonias" because their evergreen leaves
are round, fleshy and waxy in appearance. They produce single flowers throughout
the year, but in profusion during the summer. They grow up to an inch across
and may be pink, white, red, or crimson.
Shrub-like - B. serratipetala is
a very attractive, trailing plant, which grows up to 18 inches high and
wide. Its 3-inch long leaves are oval and deeply toothed with wavy edges.
They are dark green with elevated, dark pink spots.
Tuberous - B. 'Can-Can' is a variety
with upright growth. It is a very beautiful plant grown for its gorgeous
flowers. They are double, up to 7 inches across and produced abundantly
throughout the summer. The flowers are deep yellow and the petals, which
have serrated margins, are edged with dark red-orange. The oval leaves
grow to 8 inches in length and are green.
Winter-flowering - These kinds
were obtained by hybridizing B. socotrana and B. Dregei. They have bronze-green
leaves and a profusion of flowers during the winter. The flowers may be
single or double and colored rose, carmine, scarlet, pink, and rosy-crimson.
POTTING:
All Begonias need light, well-drained
soil that is neutral or slightly acidic. They need bright, but indirect
sunlight. They need more water when they are growing actively, less when
they are not. In late spring and early summer, they should be given fertilizer
with every watering. They should be repotted every spring. Tuberous Begonias
can be started in early spring by setting tubers into shallow flats. When
Tuberous Begonias are about half and inch long, they can be potted into
4- or 5-inch pots filled with two parts fibrous loam, one part leaf mold
or peat moss, half a part well-decayed manure, and a sprinkling of sand.
One-quarter ounce of bone meal should be added to each quart of compost.
Pat down the soil firmly but don't ram it down with a potting stick. When
the roots fill the pots, they can be repotted into 6- to 8-inch pots. Those
grown for their beautiful leaves don't need to be taken out of their pots
at the end of their growing seasons.
PROPAGATION: Seeds may be sown in early spring in pots of finely sifted compost made up of loam, leaf mold or peat moss and sand. Scatter them on top and press them in but don't cover them with soil. Lay a sheet of glass over the pots and keep them in 60-degree temperatures. When the seedlings have formed two pairs of leaves, transplant them into larger pots. New plants can also be started from old leaves. Mature leaves are taken off the plants and placed underside downwards in sand and peat moss in a terrarium. When roots form, they are potted in small pots. Cuttings, 3-6 inches long, may be inserted into sand, in the spring or summer. These are placed in a warm propagator and kept closed until they have formed roots. They are then repotted into larger pots. Begonias that form rhizomes can be cut into several pieces in early spring and potted separately.
VARIETIES:
Cane-stemmed - B. Albopicta (Guinea-wing
Begonia); B. corallina 'Lucerna'; B. 'Orpha C. Fox'; B. 'Orange Rubra'.
Rex-cultorum - B. 'Merry Christmas'; B.
'Duartei'; B. 'Helen Lewis'; B. 'Silver Queen'.
Rhizomatous - B. Manicata; B. pustulata
'Argentea'; B. masoniana; B . bowerae (Eyelash Begonia); B. manicata 'Crispa';
B. 'North Bedson'; B. 'Oliver Twist'; B. prismatocarpa; B. nelumbiifolia
(Lily-pad Begonia).
Semperflorens - B. 'Red Ascot'; B. 'Organdy'.
Shrub-like - B. foliosa (Fern Begonia);
B. olsoniae; B. scharffii; B. 'Weltoniensis'; B. 'Ingramii'; B. metallica;
B. 'Thurstonii'; B. serratipetala.
Tuberous - B. 'Billie Langdon'; B. 'Roy
Hartley'; B. 'Flamboyant'; B. 'Apricot Cascade'; B. 'Can-Can'; B. sutherlandii.