PlantFiles: Hardy Begonia
Begonia grandis

Fantastic plant. I dug a small amount from a relative about 5 years ago and it has taken over a shady area under some rhodies. I've transplanted it all around the garden since. It blooms best with a few hours of morning sun. It will also grow under black walnuts, but deer will graze it after the heat of the summer comes and their top tier food dwindles. Once the triangular seed pods dry, I just crush them up and sprinkle the areas I want to seed. New seedlings generally don't bloom until the second year though.

This is a wonderful plant. It survives when almost nothing else does.
My sister from Beaumont gave me my start. She did this by cutting the tops off her plants and gave them to me to root. They root easily. Just stick the broken off parts in the ground!

I have grown this plant for many years. I love it. I gather the little bulblets that form in late fall at the joints of the plant and plant them in pots to make more plants to share with friends. Some of them always fall on the ground too and make more plants.
My main plant is in a long plastic pot and has been there for several years.

I have had this plant in my garden for many years although it is not listed as hardy in my zone. I bought it mail order and the catalog noted that although it was considered a zone 6 plant it had proved hardy in their zone 5 gardens, so I gave it a try. I have scattered it all around in my shade gardens. Since it comes up so late I plant it near spring ephemerals. It appears as the spring ephemerals are disappearing. It is one of my favorite fall bloomers.

Beautiful plant, but doesn't bloom that well for me so far in its 2nd full season in my garden. The original plant that I planted was twice the size of the one I have now, and covered in pink blooms. I planted it late in the season, before one of the coldest winters we've had, so maybe these are seedlings?

Overwintered quite well here. Seems to prefer a well drained but slightly protected (from winter wind etc.) and somewhat (partially) shady spot although I hear it can grow in full shade. Thriving so far .... blooms I expect in autumn. Foliage is actually quite decorative. Large (much larger than hand) pointed foilage of bright green to chartreuse with noticeable veins and sometimes reddish stems. A great addition to any shade garden. :)

Love this plant. 3 were sent to my by my friend, Ann, who is a fellow DGer.They died down at the end of the summer and I feared that they had died. In the middle of March, they reappeared much fuller than last year and with hundreds of offspring that came up by self-seeding. The leaves are beautiful especially when the morning sun shines on them. I have them planted on the east side of my privacy fence where they receive morning sun and afternoon filtered to full shade. Mine have delicate pink blooms. Thanks, Ann, for these great plants. I think of you each time I see them.

I had never seen this plant until I moved here to Cincinnati.
It's everywhere in the older neighborhoods including ours.
They all start blooming within days of each other.
It must have been a serious 'pass along plant' here in the 30's and 40's.

I've since searched for it and found it in older neighborhoods in about every city we visit.

It was here when we moved in 18 years ago, and no one had seriously gardened for at least 25 years before that, so I've got to go w/ a long lived perennial or a good self seeder.

It seems to be most common on high light North side gardens close to houses or walls.

I had about a 60% success rate with this plant in a mass planting in deep shade, and competing with and planted under an ancient Norwegian Spruce tree and shaded out further by a shed. Success meaning surviving the winter. It doesn't emerge until almost June, and one must be patient. The clumps that survived the first winter, are thriving and spreading on their own into the surrounding bare areas this third season.

Grows well in full shade (bright indirect light); doesn't like 'high' summer, who does? Flowers profusely in the fall.

Surpringly tough plant, prefers semi shade in a well drained soil. Is a little slow resprounting in the Spring but lasts until hard frost. Looks very delicate, but is really very durable plant. Nice big Green non-shiny leaves, has dark red undersides. Blooms late in the season with Pink or White blossoms. Will self seed, also can be divided for more plants.

Even though these plants do very well in central Texas, it is difficult to locate them here. Most nurseries do not carry them. I have them planted under large pecan trees and they come back every year. They are very easy to transplant-I have shared mine with many friends. Great plants for shade.

It's hard to find fall bloomers for the shade, so this is a valuable asset to my shady beds. Does well along a NE wall. Self-sows to form colonies. Handsome foliage.

Another nice perennial alternative for spots where you might put the usual annual bedding plants. Here in zone 6, they do better if they're heavily mulched before serious winter weather sets in.

Interesting and colorful shade plant. Leaves are "angel wing" to rounded shape. Green fuzzy tops and mahogany color on the bottom. Delicate bloom spikes in mid to late summer. The pink seed pods turn brown when ripe.