If you’re after plants that have stunning flowers and spectacular foliage, then the begonia varieties are hard to beat.
Begonias come in an astounding array of shapes, sizes, patterns and colours – with the flowers ranging from white, pink, red, yellow, and orange. While many species favour shady parts of the garden, others thrive in direct sun. Indoors or out, these tropical or subtropical treasures have been bred to suit any environment.
We’ve got everything you need to know about growing and caring for begonias, be it a sinuous, statuesque cane begonia, or a mass of little waxy wonders that turn your garden beds into blazes of colour.
Keep reading to find out the various types of begonias and their individual needs to thrive.
Fast facts about growing begonias
- Name: Begonias
- Height: From 15cm -2m tall.
- Climate: Begonias tend to prefer humid, warm climates – tropical or sub-tropical are best. Alternatively, they can perform as annuals in the summer, as a potted house plant, or in a greenhouse.
- Soil: These bright beauties love their nutrients, so when choosing a soil, ensure that you enrich it with organic matter or compost. It’s also essential to be certain that the soil can drain well, as a lack of drainage will mean root rot. If you have opted for a pot, give your begonia’s soil a regular mist or light water to ensure it stays moist.
- Position: Choose somewhere in your garden that suits the particular variety of begonia you have chosen – while some love full sun, others prefer full shade, so it’s important to refer to the plant’s label, or do your own research.
- Feeding: Feed your begonias throughout growing season (spring and summer). Aim for once a week – you can use a liquid fertiliser.
- Watering: As begonias enjoy humidity, it’s important to keep them moist. Do this by regularly lightly watering or misting the soil, but don’t overdo it. You can add mulch to help the process.
How to grow begonias in pots
Begonias are just as at home in a pot as they are in the garden. To grow a begonia in a pot, you need to allow for growth, so ensure you choose a pot that is twice the width and depth of the plant. Remove the begonia from its container and gently tease the roots apart, position it in the pot and backfill around it.
How to propagate begonias
Love begonias? Make more! You can easily propagate a begonia from cuttings. Slice a leaf into wedges, dip it in a cutting powder and place it on a tray of moist seed-raising mix. Pop the tray in a spot that receives lots of natural light and keep it moist. The entire process should take 6-8 weeks. Alternatively, you can pop a stem cutting in water to form roots, which you can then plant when they reach 4-5cm long.
Begonia varieties
Before you get planting, you’ll have to choose the right begonia for your garden. First, there’s the showy tuberous begonias or elatior hybrids that rival roses for floral flourish. Then there’s the rex with mosaics of intricately patterned and coloured leaves.
1. Cane stemmed begonias
There are many species of cane begonias, including those commonly called angel wings. Growing to 1-2m, these flower from mid-summer to mid-autumn, with fleshy flowers that dangle like little chandeliers, in pink, red, orange and white. The foliage comes in fascinating shapes and colours, ranging from light to dark green with colourful splashes or dots in silver or white. Use them as a screen or a hedge, but they need stakes and training as some stems can grow horizontally. Use these stately plants as a vertical element or in large pots on a verandah or in a courtyard.
These varieties bloom from mid-summer to mid-autumn with fleshy flowers like little chandeliers, in shades of pink, red, orange and white. One of the most popular is B. coccinea, which has pendulous heart-shaped leaves with red undersides and margins. Summer flowers are pretty but the lush, hanging leaves are attractive all year round, adding a tropical element to your garden.
You can use the tall-growing cane begonia (B. coccinea ‘Alba’) as a screen or even a hedge in your garden. They need stakes and training, as some stems decide to grow horizontally. If so, use long ties and tighten a little each week so the training is gentle. They’re stately plants, great for filling areas of the garden that need a vertical element. Or try them as specimen plants in large pots, on a verandah or in a courtyard.
If you love polka dots, B. maculata is for you, but also try B. brevirimosa with its stunning metallic pink streaks on dark bronze-green leaves.
Care for cane stemmed begonias
- Climate: Frost-free temperate, subtropical, tropical.
- Aspect: Filtered sun.
- Soil: Well-drained, humus rich.
- Watering: Water when soil is dry.
- Feeding: Balanced fertiliser every fortnight.
2. Shrub begonias
These are robust plants; they come in many sizes, colours and leaf shapes, and bear flowers for many months. They can handle being a little on the dry side and prefer semi-shade.
A few standouts in the group are Begonia venosa, with rounded silver-grey velvety leaves, B. metallica, with purple-veined leaves, and the majestic B. luxurians, with leaves that look almost like a palm frond – green on the topside and red underneath.
Unlike the cane-stemmed varieties, shrub begonias will branch, so prune in late winter to promote new growth.
3. Tuberous begonias
Roses won’t bloom in the shade, but the next best thing – tuberous begonias – do. These wannabe roses flower in spring and summer in radiant, luminous shades of red, orange, yellow, white, pink, apricot or salmon. They can be singles or doubles, plain or ruffled, and the petals can have margins or blotches of contrasting colours. Growing to just 30-40cm high and wide, they’re pretty perfect in garden beds, pots or in a hanging basket on your porch.
Renowned for amazing glasshouse displays, begonia tuberhybrida, or tuberous begonias, have gorgeous double flowers that appear in late spring and summer. They make delightful pot or window box displays.
Best in filtered shade, they like a little morning sun in cooler climates. Allow the potting mix to dry out between waterings and store the pots somewhere dry over winter. Plant tuberous begonias in a pedestal planter so the flowers spill over the sides. They cast light in the dazzling colours of summer in any lightly shaded spot in your garden.
Try growing one of the ‘Picotee’ tuberous begonias – it means their petal margins are a contrasting colour. Tuberous begonias are perennials, but if you live in areas that get very cold in winter, plant them as annuals. While some tuberous begonia flowers are pendulous and look best in pots, others are upright and brilliant in beds. Plants grown in containers need more frequent watering than those planted in the ground. But don’t overwater as tubers and stems may rot.
Remove spent flowers to avoid disease. Snip off foliage when it starts to yellow as plants go into winter dormancy.
Tip!
What is the difference between begonias and tuberous begonias?
While tuberous begonias are grown for their fabulous, rose-like blooms, there are non-tuberous begonias that have completely different needs and attractions.
- Tuberous begonias are deciduous and dormant in winter, while non-tuberous are evergreen and grow and flower throughout the year.
- Tuberous have large, showy blooms, non-tuberous are renowned for their fabulous foliage.
- Planting Plant tubers 40-50cm apart, domed side down, 2-3cm below surface in late winter to early spring.
Care for tuberous begonias
- Climate: Cool to subtropics with no humidity and cool nights. Non-tuberous mostly thrive in tropical and humid conditions.
- Aspect: Part shade.
- Growing medium: Quality potting mix for growing bulbs or tubers in containers or well-drained, humus-rich soil in your garden beds.
- Watering: Regular watering during growing period, allowing growing medium to dry out between drinks. Don’t water in winter when the plant is dormant.
- Feeding: Apply liquid fertiliser every fortnight in spring and summer.
4. Elatior begonias
Eliator begonias make exceptional indoor plants or in hanging baskets, elatior begonias (Begonia x hiemalis) are short-lived but flower prolifically and come in fabulous colours, from hot reds and oranges to softer sherbet-like pinks, lemons and apricots.
A group of two or three pots of these little beauties will brighten any room. In terms of growing, they like rich, well-drained soil and detest soggy feet. Grow them in African violet potting mix and keep it evenly moist. Cut back spent flower stems to 5–10cm long, to revitalise the plant and encourage new growth.
Elatiors love being indoors but prefer to have a moist environment, so keep them away from air conditioners. They’ll add a soft touch to the hard, gleaming surfaces of a bathroom! Just be sure they have access to bright but indirect light.
5. Rex begonias
You’re not growing rex begonias for their flowers – they’re insignificant. It’s their foliage that makes them the king of indoor plants. The asymmetrical shape of the leaves present spectacular spiral or splattered patterns in purple, pink, maroon, pewter, silver and multi shades of green. Different colours are splashed along the leaves’ veins, making them a prominent feature on the softly rumpled leaves. Grow them in pots and hanging baskets.
Also known as king begonias, Rex begonias have the name for good reason. While their flowers are insignificant, their foliage is like a royal robe with purple, pink, maroon, pewter, silver and shades of green splashed on the foliage in dazzling combos.
They grow well in pots and hanging baskets in bright filtered light. They need high humidity but hate soggy roots, so water only when dry. Rex begonias’ leaves are so dramatic and dynamic with their colours and patterns that you may miss the fact they produce tiny pink flowers.
You don’t want common or garden snails eating your plants, but the Begonia rex ‘Escargot’ is what you want as part of your plant collection.
While rex begonias love humidity, overcrowding can cause fungal disease. Ensure they have good air circulation.
Tip!
How to care for rex begonias
- Climate: Humid subtropical or tropical.
- Aspect: Bright filtered light.
- Soil: Well drained and humus rich.
- Watering: Allow growing medium to dry out between watering as rex begonias hate soggy roots.
- Feeding: Apply high-nitrogen fertiliser monthly.
6. Wax begonias
Wax or bedding begonias (Begonia semperflorens) don’t like to be alone. They’re party plants and look spectacular when mass planted in blocks of red, pink or white. They’re also very hardy, thriving in full sun in cooler regions or in part shade where it’s warmer. They produce a super abundance of simple, single or double open-faced flowers in summer, and sporadically through the rest of the year, especially if you deadhead spent flowers. Their round, waxy leaves can be a luminous green, shiny bronze or deep purple.
Use bedding begonias in beds, as their name suggests. Grow from seed, leaf or stem cuttings or plant now as seedlings about 20-30cm apart for summer flowers.
Care for wax begonias
- Climate: A perennial in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical areas, an annual in cool temperate or cold areas.
- Aspect: Part sun and part shade.
- Soil: Rich and well drained.
- Watering: Keep soil moist.
- Feeding: Apply pellet fertiliser in spring, summer and autumn.
In cooler areas, grow begonias in a pot that you can bring indoors when it gets cold.
Tip!
7. Begonia semperflorens
Also known as bedding or wax begonias, these are the hardiest of the bunch, thriving in full sun in cooler regions or in shade where it’s warmer.
Each plant produces a super abundance of flowers during summer of single or double, open-faced flowers in exquisite white or many shades of delicious pinks and reds.
They poke out of circles of fat, round, waxy leaves that can be coloured dramatic black or deep purple, shiny bronze, glistening greys or in many luminous shades of green.
Mass plant them in a garden bed or in a pot you can bring indoors when it gets cold. Prune spent flowers to encourage more of them as the season progresses.
Diseases to look out for
Begonias are fairly robust but you will need to look out for and treat these problems to keep your plants in tip-top shape. The best place to start is upon purchase – inspect the plant carefully for any signs of disease or insect damage. If it looks weak and leggy, or has any holes, spots or discolouration on the leaves or stems don’t buy it, as it will not thrive.
Another fungal disease that affects begonias is powdery mildew, which leaves a grey/white coating on the undersides of the leaves, eventually causing them to wither and die.
To rid your begonia of this, water the soil around the plant in the morning and avoid splashing the leaves. You should also remove any affected leaves with sterilised sharp scissors or secateurs. There are commercially available sprays that are useful in treating this disease.
Finally, your begonias may suffer from dark brown, crisp-looking marks on leaf edges, which are usually caused by low humidity.
To fix the problem, place your potted begonia in a tray with pebbles and water, making sure the pot base doesn’t sit in the water to prevent root rot. Alternatively, you might notice a pale brown or yellow scorch mark on all, or part, of the leaf – this is essentially sunburn.
Cut off the leaf and discard and move pots into a more sheltered spot, or give garden plants a new position that doesn’t get direct midday sun.
Pests that can affect begonias
Insects such as slugs, snails and green lopper caterpillars like to have a meal on their leaves.
Treat the slugs and snails with bait and pick off the caterpillars. White fly, mites and scale can also be a problem, but you can treat them with an appropriate chemical spray, checking the label for application rates.
Do begonias like sun or shade?
It depends on the variety; tuberous begonias prefer part shade, cane begonias like filtered sun, wax begonias thrive in part sun and part shade, and rex begonias love bright, filtered sunlight.
What are the four types of begonias?
Four types of begonias which are quite popular include tuberous begonias, cane begonias, wax begonias and rex begonias. But there are also other species of begonias that are loved by many which we have mentioned above.
What is the most beautiful begonia?
While this question is subjective, there are so many beautiful begonia varieties. Some include tuberous begonias, cane begonias, wax begonias and rex begonias.
