Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.

Double Up ™ Pink begonia . Photo by : Proven Winners

If you could somehow combine a succulent with an impatiens flora , it would probably look a mint like a wax begonia . But unlike mostimpatiens , wax begonias grow as well in full sun as they do in shade , make them one of the most various plant in the garden . What ’s more , these tough slight plants are a picnic to deal for and need little more than periodic watering during dry weather .

Wish you could enjoy wax begonias twelvemonth - round ? you’re able to ! A wax begonia is fibrous - rout , which mean it does n’t go through a period of dormancy like itstuberous - root first cousin . In the fall , simply pot up your begonia and grow them as houseplant indoors , where they will flower unceasingly under the right condition . ( Learn different types of begonias . )

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BASICS

Botanical name:

Begonia semperflorens(semperflorensmeans " always flowering " ) andBegoniaxbenariensis

Hardiness Zones:

9 - 11 , typically grown as an annual or houseplant

Growth habit:

Mounding

Height/spread:

6 to 24 column inch tall and broad

Exposure:

Shade to full sun

Bloom time:

Late spring until frost

Flowers:

Single or two-fold flowers up to 2 inches across arrive in shade of crimson , pinkish , or white . Most have prominent icteric stamens .

Foliage:

The rounded , waxy leaves are usually green or bronze , but you’re able to also happen hybrids with variegated foliage .

Special attributes:

Ever - blooming , passion broad , rabbit and deer resistant , ego - cleaning , few louse or disease problems .

PLANTING WAX BEGONIAS

Surefire ® Red begonia ( shopping center ) . Photo by : Proven Winners .

When to plant:

In belated spring , after all threat of frost has buy the farm and when temperatures stay above 50 level F at night .

Where to plant:

A location that receive partial ghost is just , but plant will also abide full Dominicus . In hot southerly climates , protect plants from coarse good afternoon sunshine .

How to plant:

Wax begonias are soft to grow from greenhouse - grow plants transplanted into the garden in spring . Begonias can also be planted from seed , but because the source have a long sprouting period , you ’ll need to get down them indoors about 12 weeks before the last expected frost day of the month .

Soil:

Grow in fertile , well - draining dirt amended with organic matter .

Spacing:

To see to it good air circulation , infinite flora at least 8 to 12 inch apart , look on their sizing at maturity .

WAX BEGONIA CARE

Surefire ® Rose begonia . picture by : Proven Winners .

Watering:

Because the leaves and stem of wax begonias are thick and succulent - like , established plants do n’t postulate constant moisture and can even withstand short period of drought .

As a worldwide rule of ovolo , give works about an inch of water per hebdomad and let the soil to dry out slightly before water again . void overwatering , which can lead to root waste and get the stems to turn soupy .

When growing flora in containers , water when the top column inch or two of soil feel dry to the touch . check that the pot has drain holes so the soil does n’t become soggy .

Double Up Pink Begonia, Pink Begonia In Container
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Amendments and fertilizer:

Apply a balancedwater - soluble fertilizeronce a month during the growing time of year or aslow - press release fertilizerat planting sentence . To assist conserve soil moisture , top dress the soil after establish with a level of constituent mulch .

Pruning:

Pruning of wax begonia is seldom needed to exert their squeamish , mound shape . If necessary , pinch back plants lightly if they become too long-legged . Wax begonia are also self - cleaning , so there ’s no pauperism to remove spend flowers to check uninterrupted peak .

Winter protection:

If you need to bring your wax begonias indoors for overwintering , put them in a window with bright trickle Inner Light , avoiding verbatim sunlight if your plants were grow out of doors in the shade . Because wax begonia never go dormant , keep the dirt slightly moist and fertilize gently throughout the winter month . Once warmer temperatures return in spring , you could move your industrial plant back outside . Get more tips foroverwintering begonia .

Pests and diseases:

Keep an optic out formealybugs , wanderer speck , thrip , andwhiteflies . industrial plant may also be susceptible tobotrytis blightandpowdery mildew , which can be avoided by providing good breeze circulation around your plant .

WAX BEGONIA PICTURES

Photo by : Proven winner

Double Up ™ White — Buy now from Proven WinnersBegonia semperflorens

Size:

8 to12 to 24 inch marvelous , 18 to 24 inches wide

A sensational combination of double white flowers and moody bronze , almost black-market foliation on dense , earth - mold plant . Will blossom all summertime without deadheading and can digest some drought . Other flower colour in the Double Up ™ serial publication includepinkandred .

Surefire ® Rose — Buy now from Proven WinnersBegonia benariensis

Double Up Pink Begonia, Pink Begonia In Container
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

8 to 12 inches tall , 18 to 24 inch wide

Pretty rose - colored flowers couple attractively with bronze - tinge dark green leaves . A heat - tolerant change suited for full sun or tone . Also trySurefire ® Red , which has green foliage and vivacious red bloom .

picture by : Blik Sergey / Shutterstock

Double Up Pink Begonia, Pink Begonia In Container
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

Super Olympia ® WhiteBegonia’Super Olympia White '

8 to 10 column inch tall and wide

The Super Olympia ® series proffer classical colour of red , roseate , white , and pink blooms held above glossy , benighted green foliage . Boasts larger blossom than most varieties . Ideal for butt against , massing , or containers .

Double Up Pink Begonia, Pink Begonia In Container
Proven Winners
Sycamore, IL

pic by : Nattanan Kloenprathom / Shutterstock

' Ambassador Pink’Begonia semperflorens

10 to 12 column inch tall and wide

A beautiful green - leafage begonia with soft pinkish flowers . prefer partial sun , but also grows well in full sun and hot conditions if proceed well - watered .

pic by : InfoFlowersPlant / Shutterstock

' Doublet Red’Begonia’Doublet Red '

A real showstopper , with frilly rose - like flowers accented by dingy greenish leaf with hints of bronze . Covered by muckle of flowers all time of year , from midspring to midfall .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do wax begonias like sun or shade?Wax begonias adapt well to unlike light requirements and will thrive in both both sunny and shaded garden beds , get to them a nifty consolidative plant . potpourri with bronze foliage tend to fare well in direct sun than those with greenish leaves . Although wax begonias can be grown in full shade , they may become scraggly and not flower as smartly .

Is wax begonia an yearbook or a perennial?Like impatiens , wax begonias are raw perennial that are treated as annuals in climate where they might be exposed to frost .

Do wax begonia come back every year?Because wax begonia are not Robert Lee Frost liberal , they wo n’t get back each year unless they are overwintered indoors . You will take to start fresh plant in the spring .

Do wax begonia spread?No . Wax begonia are non - incursive , clump - form plants and will not spread like rhizomatous begonias .

Can full begonias survive winter?Only in the mildest climate ( zones 9 - 11 ) . Otherwise , pot them up in downslope for indoor blossom . you could move your potted plant back out of doors once warm weather condition returns in leaping .

Do wax begonia make proficient houseplants?Yes , they are beautiful and wanton - to - grow indoor plants and will often bloom all year long if grow in a bright , cheery window or under stilted brightness . Learn begonias as houseplant .

Are wax begonias poisonous?Yes , all type of begonia are mildly toxic to cats and wiener if ingested , fit in to theASPCA . Although the most toxic parts of the flora are beneath the dirt , it ’s still best to keep wax begonia out of stretch of pets , peculiarly when growing plants indoors .