For beautiful, summer-long blooms, it’s hard to beat a begonia. But when you visit the store, you may notice there are a lot of begonias to choose from – each with its own unique characteristics. Some begonias like lots of sun – some tolerate very little. Some grow into rounded mounds of foliage and flowers, and some have more arching, trailing habits. Choosing the right begonia for your project can mean the difference between success and disappointment as the season progresses. Here, we help you navigate which of these beautiful begonias are best for your situation.
For Sunny Beds and Containers – Wax Begonias
To fill sun and part-sun garden beds with prolific, season-long color, the classic wax begonia is a great choice. Spaced about 9 inches apart, these begonias take little time to cover a bed or border with rounded mounds of blooms and foliage. In containers, they’re perfect too for adding a bright ring of color – filling the space between the tallest plants and the draping elements in your arrangements. This versatile begonia blooms in pink, red, or white, and the foliage comes in two colors – bright green or reddish-bronze. You even have a choice of foliage size with both the classic small-leaf and big-leaf varieties too.
For Sunny Hanging Baskets – DragonWing® Begonias
Like wax begonias, DragonWing® begonias thrive in sun and part-sun, but they do so with a spreading, arching habit that makes them the perfect choice for hanging baskets and container arrangements. As the name implies, DragonWing® begonias’ bright green foliage has an interesting wing-like shape, and its prolific pink or red blooms are held on slender, colorful “stems” (technically called peduncles) that bend gracefully toward the ground. To see DragonWing® begonias in their element, look for them in one of our pre-planted hanging baskets.
For Shade Containers – Tuberous and Rieger Begonias
Not all begonias like the sun, however. Tuberous begonias and Reiger begonias are two that prefer little or no direct light to perform their best. Tuberous begonias – like those in the popular Nonstop® and Illumination® series – love warm temperatures, and they produce vibrant, double blooms in a wide range of jewel tones from crimson red to bright yellow all summer long. Hanging baskets and containers are the best ways to showcase the stunning blooms and almost equally striking foliage.
Rieger begonias also produce double blooms in a range of bright colors from white to pink to yellow and orange – but in a more upright, bushy form than tuberous begonias. Although beautiful, their bloom time is a little more limited in length, and they prefer cooler temperatures over hot, sultry summer weather. So, keep them in a container you can bring indoors – they make lovely houseplants too.
Find the Right Begonia for Success
Whether you’re planting a sunny garden bed, hanging a basket filled with draping color, or planting a pot of shade-loving annuals, there’s a begonia for you. We want you to love begonias as much as we do, so if you’re not sure which one to grab, just ask. We’ll point you to the best begonia for your next planting project.
