In the Garden Now: Hardy begonia

Begonia grandis posing for its close-up

Text and photos by Victoria Gilleland

This Hardy Begonia is blooming its little heart out in a very shady part of my garden. Plants come back year after year, come into bloom in late summer when we need a burst of color, are seldom bothered by garden pests and bloom nicely in the shade. A true winner in my book!

Begonia grandis in the garden

Although they thrive in the shade, in the Seattle area they do quite well in a fair amount of sun. Be aware that Hardy Begonia can self-propagate and as they say “naturalize.” This means that you might have new plants popping up in unexpected garden locations. They’re not difficult to remove and it’s kind of fun to share with neighbors and friends.

Even without flowers the shiny green wing shaped leaves are very attractive. Wispy clusters of pink flowers bloom in late summer and may rebloom if spent flowers are removed. Plants will form a clump about 2 feet high planted in a garden bed or in a pot. Stems usually are self-supporting and need no staking.

If you’d like another late blooming easy to grow perennial for your garden this could be the one!

Botanical name: Begonia grandis

Victoria Gilleland is the owner of Cottage Garden Designs, a Garden Design company specializing in Redesign of Residential Gardens, Garden Consultation and Coaching. She has been designing gardens in the northwest for over 20 years.