Re: Begonia grandis
- To:
- Subject: Re: Begonia grandis
- From: M* T*
- Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 00:23:51 -0400
I have a *lot* of B. grandis - heat does not faze it one bit, as long
as - as Nancy says - it is in shade. Will grow and flower in quite
deep shade or part shade. I do not have any in what passes for sun
here and they do not seem to put themselves in the sunnier spots, so
I have no idea how they would fare, but think the foliage might burn.
If suited, they will spread to cover a lot of ground. Sometimes have
to just rip them out and compost them and that hurts, but there is a
limit. Find they are late risers in spring - don't really start to
even wake up until May.
They will really show their stuff in good, organic soil that stays
moist, but will also grow and bloom and even spread in the worst dry
clay imaginable...have some under some Pfitzer junipers, if you can
imagine a more inhospitable spot. They will also grow and flower
nicely in pure sand, I have found.
This is one of my favorite plants, despite its taking ways - the
foliage is marvelous and a group of them have a habit of naturally
layering themselves at the edge of a border - very nice for plants
that can easily get over 2 feet tall. Quite a number of mine have
been munched unmercifully by deer this year and keep on trying to
throw new leaves and even bloom...tough guys.
They are normally rated to USDA zone 6, but I think they will survive
in z 5 with protection...gave some to a net friend in Scranton, PA
and they have made it. In colder zones, I'd mulch well for winter.
They form a sort of corm with a very fibrous root system attached and
it resides fairly close to the surface of the soil.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Hal or Nancy Robinson <robyn@icx.net>
> Date: Saturday, September 23, 2000 4:52 PM
>
> As long as the begonia is in shade and moist, I don't think it
cares
> about the temperature. I have it by the downspout and it just
keeps on
> moving out. It is time for someone to come and dig some more.
> Nancy Robinson
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