Tuberous Begonias

My Mother always grew Tuberous Begonias when I was growing up so when I was needing something that would grow in partial shade in hanging pots I went back to my Mother's old standby flowers and I have been delighted with the color and constant blooms. This year I picked bright red but in the past I have enjoyed yellow, white and pink Tuberous Begonias as well.

If you are looking for a colorful, attractive flower to grace your garden, try the tuberous begonia. It is easy to grow, does well in the shade, needs moderate care, and will reward you with a lovely display of blooms all summer long.





My Tuberous Begonias





Tuberous begonias come in shades of white, pink, red, yellow, orange, and salmon, as well as bi-colors. If they have a darker edge to the petals, they are called "picotee." Double flowers are male, and single flowers female. The large flowers are usually double and may be six inches or more in diameter. Plants generally grow 12 to 18 inches tall




History
Botanically, begonias are from the Plantae kingdom; Tracheobionta (vascular plant) subkingdom; Spermatophyta (seed plant) superdivision; Magnoliophyta (flowering plant) division; Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) class; Dilleniidae subclass; Violales order; Begoniaceae family; and Begonia L. genus.

Begonias grow from fibrous roots, tuberous roots or rhizomes. Some are grown for foliage, others for their ostentatious blossoms.

Since 1777, when the first begonia was introduced in England, cultivators have established thousands of variations. Begonias are native to South Africa, Asia, Mexico and Central and South America.

Tuberous Begonia
The tuberous begonia is a native hybrid from South America. It is grown for its large flowers and works as a greenhouse plant or bedding plant. This begonia does well in semishaded environments. Tuberous begonias are not winter hardy.