(Palm-leaved Begonia)

Palm-leaved begonia, a robust Brazilian native, is a tall, shrub-like tender tropical perennial with breathtaking palmate leaves. Each hand-like leaf - made up of 11-20 smaller leaflets that are fleshy and sometimes rippled - is often described as cannibis-like. The leaf stems are a contrasting pink to pink-orange. In spring, long floral stems arise and display creamy white clusters of flowers that are fragrant. Begonia flowers are either male or female, with male blossoms opening first.

Palm-leaved...

(Spotted Begonia)

The spotted or trout begonia is an upright cane-type with large, dark green leaves that look like bat wings with pronounced silver dots. This Brazilian native is a tender tropical perennial with green stems that resemble the culms of bamboo. The white flowers are quite showy, appearing from late winter into the spring, arising from the canes among the leaves. The leaves are shaped like a simple bat wing, or angel's wing, and are succulent, waxy, glossy and dark green. Silvery white dots speckle...

(Spotted Begonia, Wight's Spotted Begonia)

Wright's spotted begonia is an upright cane-type with large, dark green leaves that look like bat wings with pronounced silver dots. This Brazilian native is a tender tropical perennial with green stems that resemble the culms of bamboo. The white flowers are quite showy, appearing from late winter into the spring, arising from the canes among the leaves. The leaves are shaped like a simple bat wing, or angel's wing, and are succulent, waxy, glossy and dark green. Silvery white dots speckle the...

(Iron Cross Begonia)

The terrific evergreen foliage of the iron cross begonia can’t be beat. This rhizomatous tender perennial is native to extreme southern China near the border of Vietnam. Its large, rigid, roughly textured leaves are apple-green with single dark brown marks that resemble a German iron cross. In late spring, dainty white flowers are produced atop maroon stems above the mass of leaves.

Iron cross begonia needs a bright light but will not withstand direct sunlight. It prefers warm humid environments...

(Sweet Begonia)

An elegant tropical perennial, sweet begonia is has glossy, succulent leaves and graceful pendulous white flowers that offer a faint pleasant fragrance. Originating from the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, this large semi-woody begonia is actually considered to be a subshrub. It has a mounding yet rambling habit and is one of the few begonias that can tolerate full sunlight. As long as temperatures are warm and growing conditions right, it will flower nearly year round.

Sweet...

(Pink Sweet Begonia)

Pink sweet begonia is an elegant tropical perennial with glossy, succulent leaves and delicate marbled pink and pale pink flowers. Native of the Lesser Antilles, it is considered a "subshrub" type begonia with an open, rangy habit. This cultivar cannot handle as much direct sunlight as the white-flowering parent species.

This begonia should be grown in a moist but well drained acidic soil. Since it has succulent leaves and stems, it is important to not expose it to soggy conditions. Use pink...

(Bearclaw Begonia, Begonia, Palmate Begonia)

With large green leaves that look like a clawed paw, palmate begonia bears dainty pink flowers in summer and often again in late fall. This evergreen perennial that grows from a long rhizome (underground stem) is native to much of southern Asia's montane tropical forests in mid-elevations from Nepal eastward across southern China and Taiwan and into northern Indochina. It is an upright-stemmed plant but since it most often grows on wet rocky walls around waterfalls and moist slopes, it has more of...

(Begonia)

With large green leaves that look like a clawed paw, palmate begonia bears dainty pink flowers in summer and often again in late fall. This evergreen perennial that grows from a long rhizome (underground stem) is native to much of southern Asia's montane tropical forests in mid-elevations from Nepal eastward across southern China and Taiwan and into northern Indochina. It is an upright-stemmed plant but since it most often grows on wet rocky walls around waterfalls and moist slopes, it has more of...

(Grapeleaf Begonia, Thick-stemmed Begonia)

Attractive green leaves with a light glossy finish and shaped like a more rounded grapeleaf, Begonia reniformis displays upright, wipsy clusters of white flowers intermittently year round. A tender perennial native to Brazil, this species is regarded as a thick-stemmed begonia, growing tall, fleshy stems that rarely branch and can become quite wood-like with age.

The leaves are bright medium green and held out on love, grooved petiole stems in a horizontal manner. Each leaf blade is...

(Rex Begonia)

Large, velvety leaves that are dark green with a wide, circular band make rex begonia stand out among others. This widely cultivated and hybridized species is the historical source for many colorful rex-cultorum hybrids extant. A tender perennial from the monsoon-affected cool, humid highlands of the Arunachal Pradesh region of India, the species is rarely grown in cultivation.

Rex begonia has reddish brown creeping rhizomes from which the leaves emerge. In spring, it produces a few pinkish-white...