Exotic plants just love this weather – especially the Begonias…
Posted on | July 6, 2010 | 5 Comments
EDP article for Sat 10th July 2010
The heat goes on – at least here in Norfolk and the exotic plants just love it, especially the Begonias! For some years I have had a passion for these wondrous plants from the hardy species like Begonia grandis evansiana to those that are decidedly tender. I have a display of these wonderful beasts just inside the entrance to the garden, many nestling in the shade of a Windmill Palm Trachycarpus fortune as most need protection from the hard glare of the midday sun at this time of year when it is at its highest.
Most of my collection are called cane-type begonias, which are distinguished from the others by their bamboo-like stems. Most are free blooming and have large clusters of flowers of which many are ever blooming if temperatures are high enough. Unfortunately, being tropical (mostly from Brazil) in nature I grow them in large pots which are brought out into the garden when all fear of frost has past, usually around the third week of May here at the Exotic Garden.
One in particular that I find devilishly eye catching is the highly vaunted Begonia luxurians, a masterpiece of nature hailing from the forests of Brazil in South America. I think this is one of the most beautiful Begonias that can be grown. It is particularly unique in its genus as it doesn’t particularly look like a begonia! Its hand-like leaves are up to 30cm (1ft) across and composed of 10-20 dark green leaflets that are fleshy and sometimes rippled and arranged in an almost complete circle at the top of each petiole (leaf stalk) and curving down giving a really dramatic weeping effect to the whole plant. The leaves are produced alternately up the stem which bends slightly at each leaf axil (where the leaf stalk is attached to the stem) resulting in an intriguing zigzag appearance. It certainly deserves its name as the foliage does look luxuriant making a great specimen. At this time of year it is topped with racemes of dainty small creamy-white flowers. My multi-stemmed plant is about 1.5m (5ft) tall so the flowers can be easily admired at eye level, though in the wild it can grow to a staggering 3m (10ft) tall!
I have a rather large Begonia corallina at around 2.3m (7ft) tall in its container which is one of the easiest of the cane-type begonia species and fairly common though no less attractive for that. It has angel-wing like leaves 20cm (8ins) or more long, in a dark green shade with occasional spotting. The dark brown woody stems can become quite thick with age, up to 2cm (1ins) in diameter. It does have a tendency to drop its leaves giving a somewhat open appearance especially during the winter months. Since the plant can become rather large, it needs to have its individual canes staked if the flower clusters become too heavy as it blooms profusely with large cluster of red flowers, sometimes up to 30cm (1ft) or more across. Old canes that have gone barren (lost their leaves) can be pruned to two leaf joints above the ground in early spring.
Another large one is Begonia ‘Thurstonii’, a rather striking shrubby cane begonia which grows to around 2m (6ft) tall with striking shiny dark olive-green leaves with red veins and a red underside. Its overall glossiness makes it stand out from the other begonias, especially with its’ bunches of pink flowers at this time of year.
I have always had a soft spot for Begonia ‘Burle Marx’ which was much admired by the late Christopher Lloyd. This shrubby begonia grows to around 75cm (2 1/2 ft) tall, with densely packed, puckered, bronzy-green leaves and sprays of small white flowers on long stems. Finally but not least, Begonia maculata ‘Wightii’ also known as Spotted Begonia and Wight’s Spotted Begonia is out of this world looking as though it has been made in some fantasy land! This Begonia is new to me this year and is an extraordinary shrubby cane-type begonia with large glossy dark green leaves up to 30cm (1ft) long that look like bat or angel wings with pronounced silver dots. The white flowers are quite showy, appearing from late winter into the spring, arising from the canes among the leaves. My plant is about 30cm (1ft) tall though it will become a medium sized begonia that should reach 60-90cms (2-3ft) or maybe taller if it likes its location!
Although most books say Begonias shouldn’t be overwintered at less than 15C (59F), like my Bromeliads, I find they cope with a minimum low of 5C (41F) if kept pretty much bone dry during the winter months, though this does cause some leaf drop, but once warmer spring weather arrives they soon come back into leaf. I also find that the use of a large fan to blow the air around the greenhouse eliminates any mildew forming on the foliage, a scourge of our damp British winters. They all prefer a potting mix that is at least fifty percent loam based with added Osmocote slow release fertilizer plus the occasional sprinkling of blood fish and bone for good measure. The cane types do have a tendency to become rather floppy especially when in flower, hence the judicious use of bamboo canes for support is often essential on the taller types as mentioned earlier. They mostly prefer a dappled shade position that does not receive any midday sun as this will scorch the leaves. Other than that, most begonias enjoy being outside for the summer months from late May well into October. So – why not have a go at growing some yourself or come and admire them growing here at the Exotic Garden…
Twilight at the Exotic Garden
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5 Responses to “Exotic plants just love this weather – especially the Begonias…”
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July 7th, 2010 @ 9:27 am
Love the last photo looking down into the garden, beautiful light. Nice work Wilzers!
July 7th, 2010 @ 10:30 am
Your garden is such an exotic paradise that it is hard to believe you are in Norfolk. Thanks for all the info on your plants – am going to try and introduce more of these into my dry garden. That last stunning shot looks like a book cover suitable for ‘Night of the Iguana’
Laura
July 10th, 2010 @ 5:08 pm
Chris – thank you very much. Good luck with your move and I look forward to looking after all your plants…
PatioPatch – Thanks for your glowing comment. Yes, the last picture of the garden does look rather dream like…
July 13th, 2010 @ 8:42 pm
Wonderful post on this great genus. I’m just starting to grow a few here in frost-free zone 10 in So. Calif — don’t know why it’s taken me so long. B. luxurians is a beauty — mine’s nowhere near your size! I remember C. Lloyd’s comment that if he was only allowed one genus of plants, it would be begonias.
July 14th, 2010 @ 10:49 pm
Denise – In zone 10 you should be able to grow just about anything, though I wonder if it’s almost too hot – what is your humidity like? I have a friend in Menlo Park in Northern California who grows B. Luxurians to perfection at around 8ft tall.
Yes – Christopher Lloyd always had a few Begonias lurking in his tropical garden at Great Dixter. I was lucky enough to have his head gardener Fergus Garrett write the preface to my last book ‘The Encyclopaedia of Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates – Timber Press.