Re: Hardy Begonia

Gene,
        As my note below says, I have been growing sutherlandii for about 5 years -
maybe longer - in a container outside.  The container stays outside the year
around and I don't dig the tubers.  B. sutherlandii goes dormant like any
other perennial and reappears rather late in the spring ( as does B. grandis
for me).  It does makes bubils (as does B. grandis), but unfortunately
because my plant trails over the container, the bubils fall on the cement
driveway, not on soil. :( Ratz!
        We are zone 8 here with occasional dips down to zone 6.  Here is what
Kristl says in her Gardens North catalog -  "A tuberous sort, surviving
freezing in Britain (Zone 7?).  Can be grown indoors or as an annual
outside, storing tubers over winter.  Beautiful salmon colored flowers on
pendulous branches from fleshy stems and leaves.  Early and long bloom
period, from summer to frost.  Beautiful in a gorgeous pot set a bit high
and in a shady corner so that the flowers can gracefully arch outwards."
        To be safe, I would say to treat it like any other tuberous Begonia by
storing the tuber indoors in a dark, cool, dry spot and checking the tubers
once a month during winter to make sure they aren't shriveling up.  There
are some excellent pix of this pretty Begonia on the African Garden web
site...or do a Google image search.
        This reminds me that I saw another hardy species Begonia a few weeks ago
while on a garden tour.  Begonia boliviensis.  There is a good picture of it
on the Plant Delights online catalog.  Long, narrow leaves and long, narrow
flowers with flared tips....enough to drive a hummingbird crazy!  Tony Avent
lists it as zones 7-9, but it is also tuberous.
I gotta have one of these!  There is no end to plant lust!! :)

Marilyn Dube'
Natural Designs Nursery
Portland, Oregon


-----Original Message-----
From:   PRIMROSES [s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU] On Behalf Of
Gene Bush
Sent:   Tuesday, August 12, 2003 4:07 AM
To:     shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:        Re: [SG] Hardy Begonia

Hello Marilyn,
    I was vaguely aware of this species, but the only information I have on
it says it is hardy only to zone 9. Do you have different information from
experience? I would not mind adding it to my collection, but it would need
to be far more hardy than zone 9, for sure. Portland, OR is colder in the
winter than that... How about some practical experience information here???
    Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana
----- Original Message -----
> Narda,
>         There is another long lived hardy Begonia I have been growing for
about 5
> years.  It is Begonia sutherlandii.  It is small, and trailing with single
> orange flowers about the size of a nickel.  I use it in containers.  Right
> now it resides with a variegated leaf Cuphea, a variegated Helleborus
> sternii 'Janet Starns', peach colored double Impatiens, an orange Abutilon
> and some gold Vinca.  This container is on the east side of my house in an
> area that gets only brief morning sun.
>         You can get bubils for this little gem from Kristl Walek at North
Garden
> Seeds in Canada - that's the only place I've ever seen them offered.
>
> Marilyn Dube'
> Natural Designs Nursery
> Portland, Oregon
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