Begonia grandis, the hardy begonia, is a plant in the begonia family, Begoniaceae. It is a herbaceous plant with alternate, simple leaves on arching stems. The flowers are pink or white, borne in dichotomously branching cymes.
Begonias exist in hundreds of forms and have long been popular with gardeners. Some species are coddled houseplants with showy, often fantastically shaped and patterned leaves. Others thrive outdoors as annuals and bloom colorfully in the shade in containers and as bedding plants. Less widely known is the hardy begonia (Begonia grandis), a perennial species.This begonia has bright green heart-shaped leaves and dangling clusters of delicately fragrant pink or white flowers. It is a late bloomer and provides color in midsummer to early autumn when spring flowers have mostly disappeared. It is quite useful planted in beds with spring bulbs since it doesn’t appear until after they have faded.
Once established, hardy begonia will tolerate some dry spells, but in general, it likes to be well watered.
Mulching after the plant has gone dormant in the fall will help it survive even an especially frigid winter. Add some compost in the spring to get your hardy begonia off to a good start for the growing season.
Begonias prefer daytime temperatures around 70°F and 60°F overnight. Temperature dips below 50°F might damage begonias and prolonged cold snaps can weaken or kill them.
