How to Grow Begonia — Care & Where to Buy

Begonias are the cast-iron answer for tricky spots — waxy-leafed, self-cleaning, blooming steadily in shade, and the bronze-leaf types take full sun too. From bed edging to a bright windowsill indoors, few plants deliver this much color with this little drama.

Compact at six to twelve inches, they edge beds, fill shade containers, and pot up as easy houseplants for winter — though this one is for admiring, not for the dog's or cat's curiosity. Butterflies visit outdoors; 'Dragon Wing' is the upgrade nobody regrets. Start with one flat.

Where to buy the plant — 1 nursery

Part Shade
Moderate water
Moderate growth
Attracts butterflies

Wax Begonia — a print from the Plant Library collection

From the print shop

Growing begonia? Hang it.

Our Plant Library collection carries begonia — Begonia semperflorens, print Nº 49, “Wax Begonia.”

526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed

Shop Plant Library botanical prints →

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Will it thrive where you are?

Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what begonia actually needs.

Life cycleTender perennial, grown as an annual

Begonia · Common problems

Common begonia problems

Pests, diseases and weather to keep an eye on.

Pests

2 problems on file

Mealybugs (rare outdoors)
Cyclamen & Broad Mites

Diseases

4 problems on file

Botrytis
Stem Rot if crowded and wet
Bacterial Leaf Spot
Edema

Begonia · Growing & propagation

Growing begonia

Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.

What it needsThe details

Light: Part Shade
Bronze-leaf types take sun
Water: Moderate
Fleshy stems rot in swampy pots
Soil: Well-drained, rich · pH 5.5 - 6.5
Fertilizer: Monthly
Pruning: None
None — pinch once in June if leggy.
Spacing: 8-10 in

Begonia · Seasonal care & spray guidance

The begonia growing playbook

Field-tested instructions for every job begonia asks of you, compiled from university extension guidance — in the order the season brings them.

When to spray begonia

Growing season. Space for airflow; water mornings.

Timing only — the label is the law

This is when to watch and when a treatment is worth considering, not a recommendation to apply any product. Read and follow the product label before you spray — under federal law the label is the legal instruction, and using a pesticide against it is illegal.

Check the pre-harvest interval. Every product that’s cleared for an edible crop sets a minimum number of days between spraying and picking. Find it on the label before you spray anything you intend to eat.
Check the re-entry interval before you or anyone else works in the treated area again, and use the protective equipment the label names.
Confirm the product is registered for begonia in your state. A product legal on one crop is not legal on all of them, and state registrations differ — your state pesticide agency or local extension office can confirm both.
Rates and mixing instructions come from the label, never from us. We don’t publish them because they differ by product and formulation.

Begonia · Calculators & field guides

A little help in the garden.

Calculators for the figures. Field guides for the hands-on work.

Begonia · Yearly calendar

The begonia year, month by month

What begonia asks for, month by month.

Jan

No calendar activity is listed for this month.

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Bloom

BloomMay

What each band means

Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.

These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.

Begonia · Ecology & uses

Ecology & uses

What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.

Begonia × semperflorens

Begonia in the garden system

Attracts: Butterflies
Moisture: Wetland / wet-tolerant
Deer: Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin: Introduced

What begonia is grown for

! Some parts toxic — see notesToxic to dogs/cats (tubers worst)

Use: Edging
Use: Shade containers

Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.

Begonia · Varieties & cultivars

Choosing a begonia variety

Match the plant to your climate, season and available space.

Semperflorens (bedding); 'Dragon Wing' (bigger, angel-wing show); tuberous (hanging shade baskets)

Sources & plant identity

Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.

The plant, at a glance.

Botanical name: Begonia × semperflorens
Plant family: Begoniaceae
Growth habit: Annual · Tender Perennial
Origin: Introduced
USDA plant symbol: BESE
Invasive risk: Low

Every garden is different.

Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.

Rooted in research.

University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.

Explore Begonia’s sources4 reference links
for Begonia

Research from these sources

ASPCA

Clemson University

NC State Extension

University of Minnesota

Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.

Where to buy

Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.

Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.

Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.

EtsyBrowse growers↗

Questions

Begonia questions, answered straight.

Is begonia safe for kids and pets?

With care. Toxic to dogs/cats (tubers worst) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.

Elsewhere

Where begonia sits in the library.

Where begonia sits in the library

Houseplants59 All collections

Grows in the same world