Begonia Seeds | Begonia Genus Overview
LATIN NAME: Begonia
COMMON NAME: Begonia Genus Overview
Plant Profile
Begonia (Begonia) is one of the largest genera of flowering plants, with over two thousand wild species in the family Begoniaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, Africa and Asia. Most are tender perennials with characteristically asymmetrical leaves, separate male and female flowers on the same plant, and a huge range of forms from fibrous bedding types to cane, rhizomatous and tuberous kinds. Their diversity of foliage and flower has made them among the most collected of all ornamental plants.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Begonia ranges from the botany of the Begonia group to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Ornamental begonia breeding has also become a substantial horticultural industry in its own right, with breeders working across the genus’s naturally enormous diversity to develop new leaf patterns, colours and growth forms for houseplant and bedding plant trade. Species like this one find a second career as research material, especially in propagation and breeding work.
Uses & Benefits
Begonia Genus Overview brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Begonias are grown worldwide as houseplants, greenhouse specimens and summer bedding, valued across genus for an extraordinary range of foliage colour and pattern alongside generally delicate, though often abundant, flowers. Different sections of this vast genus suit very different growing situations, from tender tropical species needing warm, humid indoor conditions to a handful of genuinely cold-hardy outdoor perennials such as Begonia grandis. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Begonias are ornamental royalty with minor folk records for their sour, oxalate-containing leaves. Grow them for the flowers and foliage, and do not eat them.
Growing from Seed
Begonia Genus Overview is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow extremely fine seed onto surface of a loose, humus-rich, well-drained mix without covering it, since light is essential for germination and seed is too fine to bury successfully. Warmth, high humidity and bright but indirect light suit most begonia species well during germination, and covering tray with clear plastic to maintain humidity often improves results considerably. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Begonia Genus Overview settles in quickly once it finds its footing. What it needs is basic: sun, drainage, and a little patience while it establishes.
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