Begonia grandis seed

LATIN NAME: Begonia grandis

COMMON NAME: Hardy Begonia

The hardy begonia is one of the few begonias that shrug off the winter. The fleshy, clumping, perennial plant carries the broad, heart-shaped, olive-green leaves with the red undersides and the airy, branching sprays of the many small, pink or white flowers from the late summer into the autumn, one of the fine sights of the shaded border. The plant is a generous, easy presence of the cool garden, coming back year after year. It is a plant of the cool, moist, rich, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The hardy begonia is a steady favourite of the plant science, studied for the heart-shaped leaves and the airy sprays of the small, pink flowers. The way the plant stands the winter and comes back from the fleshy roots has been studied steadily, and it keeps showing up in the work on the shade plants, the hardy perennials and the members of the begonia family. The broad leaves with the red undersides and the clumping habit have also made it a fine garden plant, and the hardy begonia is a regular subject of the studies of the cool-climate begonias.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The hardy begonia is a fine, easy plant of the shaded border and the autumn garden. The airy sprays of the small, pink flowers open through the late summer and into the autumn, when much of the border is finishing, and the broad, heart-shaped leaves with the red undersides give the plant its good looks through the whole season. The plant is a generous, easy presence of the cool, moist border, the woodland edge and the container, coming back year after year. It has been written about in the horticultural papers for the late flowers and the hardy ways, and it is a fine, long-lived plant of the cool, moist, rich, well-drained garden.

The hardy begonia is one of the fine sights of the shaded border, and the airy sprays of the small, pink flowers open through the late summer and into the autumn. The broad, heart-shaped leaves with the red undersides keep the plant good-looking through the whole season.

To grow the hardy begonia from seed, sow the dust-fine seeds over the surface of a pot of moist seed compost, without covering them, keep the pot in a bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings show themselves within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the shade and the cool, moist, rich, well-drained ground, the pink sprays will rise through the late summer.

Fully hardy, pink blushed rose flower sprays summer thru fall, green heart shaped leaf, red underneath, for part shade.