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I always forget to mention this plant!

laceyvail 6A, WV

13 years ago

And I don't know why since it's a really great plant and not well known. Hardy begonia, Begonia grandis, is a terrific plant for very dry areas and a fair amount of shade, though not deep shade. Even better, is the cultivar 'Heron's Pirouette' which is much larger in all its parts and with flowers of a deep pink. Both are very long flowering as well.

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Comments (15)

MollyDog
13 years ago
The hardy begonia is one of my fall favorites. I love the red color of the underleaf. I have a red day lily planted with one group of begonias and they look stunning together in early summer. Glad you mentioned this great plant.
kms4me
13 years ago
I grow it here in zone 4 MN in moist but well-drained shade and it does almost too well. It has started to form colonies that are obscuring some of the hostas and ferns. Not complaining though as I really like it.
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aachenelf z5 Mpls
13 years ago
I was going to mention this plant too. Absolutely love it to death. Even if it didn't bloom, the leaves alone would make it worth growing.

Kevin
flora_uk
13 years ago
This is interesting. This is a very unusual plant in the UK and it is described as 'borderline hardy' and surviving only down to 0 to -5c with protection. I'm wondering why it does not cope well here when it survives in z5. Any ideas?
MollyDog
13 years ago
I have hardy begonia planted in several shady areas. I just took this picture the other day. I'm pleased with the combination.

{{gwi:268231}}
MollyDog
13 years ago
Hmmm...that worked well. Sorry, let me try again.

{{gwi:268233}}
arbordayle
13 years ago
These really multiply! They've taken over a small bed and I'd like to try and establish some in another area. Last fall, I cut some with spent blooms and put the dried flowerheads in another bed to see if any seeds would germinate. No luck. Can I transplant some now or should I wait until next spring?
MollyDog
13 years ago
Success in transplanting now depends upon the size of the begonia. I have had great success in transplanting the smaller begonias this time of the year. The larger ones require staking, but as long as you get the bulb with lots of soil, it will transplant as well. I would wait until it gets a little cooler. Tuesday is to be in the 90s again.
arbo_retum
13 years ago
oh boy, molly. i have it in 2 places, new this yr, amidst j painted fern, so i'm psyched to see yours similarly accompanied! i hope before long someone will introduce a variegated leaf (like schizophragma, diff shades of green, wouldn't that be cool?) i also love it w/ your hakonechloa; i'd like to do that as well.

flora, i wonder if it has to do with begonias and your rather abundant drizzle. don't know if mildew (as w/ non-hardy begonias) is an issue. i do not know f/celcius conversions, but i'm in z.5, down to -10F i believe.
graham thomas or pen. hobhouse didn't grow it over there?

best,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/
aachenelf z5 Mpls
13 years ago
arbordayle

This plant produces lots and lots of tiny bulbils along the stems in the leaf joints late in the season. Simply pick them off and scatter them where you want more plants next year.

I just did a Google on this plant and found that it's hardy to zone 6. So why in the heck are we successfully growing this one in MN in zones 4 and 5 with winter lows near -20 F?

Kevin
flora_uk
13 years ago
This sounds like a plant I could use on the shady side of my tiny garden. I think I'll keep an eye out for it. As for Fahrenheit/Celsius you can either convert it via google or just remember that 0c is freezing point and 100c is boiling point. So anything below 0 is sub freezing. My garden very rarely experiences anything below - 2 or -3 c, so it's much warmer than your -10f. I actually had a Begonia rex survive outdoors over one winter.

This Cotswold Garden Flowers link says it's hardy throughout the UK so I really don't know why it's not more common. And it grows in dry shade!

Here is a link that might be useful: Begonia grandis
christinmk z5b eastern WA
13 years ago
Well, I am sure glad you started this post laceyveil. I had seen one of these in a magazine and really admired it. Reading between the lines though, I kind of got the impression that it was a rather iffy perennial in my zone. Glad to know so many in my zone have been pleased with it. Now I definitely need to get one!
Thanks for the info
CMK
laceyvail 6A, WV
Original Author
13 years ago
I'm glad this post got so many responses. And I do want to sing the praises again of the cultivar, 'Heron's Pirouette', a truly gorgeous plant.
MollyDog
13 years ago
Flora_UK, I'm heading to England tomorrow (Tuesday). We will be in the Cotswold for several days after a week in London.
MollyDog
13 years ago
I also have begonia grandis 'alba'. She's just as pretty as the pink specie, but does not seem to seed as readily although I want it too!

{{gwi:268235}}

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