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Begoniaceae Family
By Brenda Lines
Introduction
Many people recognize the distinctive asymmetrical leaves, fleshy jointed stems and showy flowers of most cultivated begonias. However, looks can be deceiving, since some species do not exhibit any of these features and
can only be identified as begonias by a combination of subtle botanical features. These include: alternate stipulate leaves, separate male and female flowers, petal-like sepals, centripetal stamen development, inferior
ovaries, and other characteristics. Fascinating, but far too much information……. Let’s look at some basics and which beautiful species grow best in Florida. And even better yet…… how to propagate them!
Female flowers
Fun Facts
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Two genera: Begonia with 1400 species and Hillebrandia in
Hawai with one species
10,000 cultivated species
Grown for beautiful foliage and/or flowers
None are native
One can be invasive (wax begonia)
Usually grown in shade or part shade
Love South Florida
Small Rhizomatous
Shrub-like begonia
FASCINATING FACT
POLLINATION:
•Separate male and female flowers are on the same begonia
plant
•Only male flowers have pollen and open first
•Female flowers make no pollen
•BAIT AND SWITCH: Female flower’s stigma look like the male
flower’s pollen sac!
•Insects are tricked into transferring pollen from the male
flowers to the female!
Cane begonia
Male and female flowers
Begonia Classifications
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Cane-Like Begonias
Rhizomatous Begonias
Rex Begonias (Only in pots)
Shrub-Like Begonias
Semperflorens Begonias (Wax begonias, annual)
Thick-Stem Begonias
Trailing-Scandent Begonias
Tuberous Begonias (Not for Florida)
Male flowers
Begonia coccinea
BEGONIA PROPAGATION
*Use well drained potting soil
Begonia odorata alba
BEGONIAS FOR FLORIDA
*Plant them in the ground!
*Add winter and spring color!
Mound-forming begonias grown for beautiful foliage and flowers:
•Begonia odorata alba (white , fragrant flowers)
•Begonia heracleifolia (pink flowers)
•Begonia nelumbilifolia (white flowers)
•Begonia popenoei (white flowers)
•Begonia ‘Washington State’ (red flecks of color on light green leaves)
•Begonia ‘Plum Gorgeous’ (dark plum leaves)
•Begonia ‘Caribbean King’ (easy, beautiful dark leaves)
Groundcover creepers or climbers or hanging baskets:
•Begonia ‘Manaus’ (white flowers, ground cover)
•Begonia convolvulacea (shiny green leaves, white flowers, climbs)
•Begonia ‘Withiacoochee’ (white flowers, patterned leaves, groundcover or
baskets)
Cane begonia for the landscape:
•Begonia coccinea (angel-wing begonia, pink flowers)
Rhizomatous
•CUTTINGS: (Cane begonias)
•Take five inch end cuttings
•Remove all lower leaves except 2 or 3
•Place one inch into soil
•Keep moist in shade
•RHIZOMES (Root cuttings): (For rhizomatous and
thick stem)
•Cut about two inch rhizome
•Place on top of soil (root side down)
•Cover bottom half of rhizome with soil
•Keep moist in shade
•LEAF : (For rhizomatous , trailing-scandent, shrub
like)
•Remove leaf with about two inch petiole (leaf stem)
•Place leaf stem about one inch into soil
•Keep moist in shade
NEED MORE INFO? *Contact American Begonia
Society at www.begonias.org
*Take Plant Propagation Class at PBCC!
*TRY IT! IT’S FUN AND REWARDING!