Hardy Begonias for Fall Color
Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops and miniature hostas. For catalogues and announcements of events, please send your full name, location, and phone number (for back up use only) to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.
The fall-blooming flowers of hardy begonia, B. grandis.
In 1991, I took a perennial plants course at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, and was introduced to many wonderful plants that I have since planted in my garden (hellebores being one of them). One of the most fascinating was hardy begonia or Begonia grandis. I just couldn’t believe that there was a plant that looked just like my angel wing begonia house plant but grew outside and came back every year.
I can’t remember where I finally located a plant, but hardy begonias soon found their way to my garden and have been multiplying and spreading ever since. I have noticed that my nursery customers have the same reaction that I did: what is that plant—is an annual? So I thought I would introduce it to all my readers and recommend it for inclusion in your gardens.
When I say they are like a begonia house plant, I am not kidding. They grow from tuberous roots and have fleshy succulent stems. Their leaves are 3 to 6″ long and shaped like an angel’s wing with green on top and red highlights underneath.
The flowers are pale pink and clustered in loose bunches with deep pink stalks. They bloom from September into November depending on when we get a frost. The ovary, which persists when the flowers drop, is bright pink, three-winged, and very attractive.
Self-sown hardy begonias in my compost pit
Hardy begonia is native to China and Japan. It is an upright plant growing to 2 to 3 feet in part to full shade. Ideally it likes organic, moist soil, but my experience is that it grows anywhere in the shade. It spreads all over the place at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens and is easily removed by yanking on the stem. However, I rarely find it in a place I don’t want it. It has even formed a very nice stand in my compost pit. The only trick to growing it is that it comes up very late—mid-May in the mid-Atlantic—so you need to remember where it is.
White hardy begonia, B. grandis ‘Alba’
There is a lovely white cultivar of hardy begonia called ‘Alba’. It has pure white flowers with pale pink stalks. It is just as hardy as the parent species and seeds around my garden readily.
Hardy begonia looks great everywhere in my garden. However, I prize it for growing between all my hostas on my back hill. When the hostas look ratty, it springs up looking fresh and elegant and blooms its heart out.
White hardy begonia growing between hostas.
Before I start an avalanche of emails asking for this plant, I am sold out for the year at the nursery. However, I always have it available in the spring so look for it in 2013.
Carolyn
Nursery Happenings: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is done for the fall. Thanks for a great year. See you in spring 2013.
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CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS 
October 8, 2012 at 8:42 pm
I have friend who does very well with these and really enjoys them Carolyn. I have not had real good luck myself however…. Larry
October 8, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Larry, It may be too cold where you are. See my answer to Judy. Carolyn
October 8, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Carolyn, how far north does this grow? Maine?
October 8, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Judy, The Missouri Botanical Garden plant finder, which is my preferred on line reference says zones 6 to 7 so it probably won’t grow in Maine. You could give it a shot in a sheltered spot though. Carolyn
October 8, 2012 at 9:19 pm
In the pink!
October 8, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Sharon, That’s a great way to describe this plant. Carolyn
October 8, 2012 at 9:36 pm
I’ve got one blooming now and I love it!
October 9, 2012 at 8:30 am
Paula, Even though I have had hardy begonia for so many years, I still consider it miraculous that it comes back every year. Carolyn
October 8, 2012 at 10:44 pm
I planted a couple of these for the first time this year here in the PNW. I love them! I didn’t know they would self-sow. Looking forward to having more next year!
October 9, 2012 at 8:31 am
Alison, If it is happy it can really go crazy so you may want to guide it to the spots you would like it to grow. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 2:24 am
I tried it once, it only lasted 2 yrs here in south Devon so to me I’m afraid it isn’t hardy. I planted it in the woodland which is sheltered and the first year it was very good, the 2nd year it was struggling after a hard winter and after that it wasn’t seen again, such a shame as it is a beautiful plant.
October 9, 2012 at 8:33 am
Pauline, We have a Devon here so just for clarification you are talking about Devon, England. Hardy begonia seems to have a narrow zone range. I can’t imagine you are too cold for it though. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 3:03 am
I planted this in a rocky dry shade spot that had challenged everything else I ever tried in autumn 2011. The begonias came up in May and have been blooming since August. So far so good! I hope they do multiply. The only other thing that has been doing well in that area and self sowing reliably is corydalis lute and corydalis cheilonifolia. In your experience, how dry can begonia grandis take, and how much sun? Any difference between the white and pink? I only have pink so far.
October 9, 2012 at 8:36 am
Klaus, Thanks for letting us know that you grow hardy begonias in such an inhospitable spot. My begonias are in deep dry shade among other places. None of them have ever seeded into the sun though. The white is very beautiful but culturally the same as the pink and just as much of a spreader here. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 5:23 am
Very pretty, I will keep my eyes open for one of these. Sounds like a very useful plant for some of my shaded spots. Thanks 🙂
October 9, 2012 at 8:38 am
Christine, Very useful for the shade but maybe not suited to your zone in South Africa—I don’t know. I hope you can experiment. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 6:21 am
This is intriguing. I wonder how much sun it can tolerate?
October 9, 2012 at 8:39 am
PBM, I have never planted hardy begonia in the sun and it has never seeded there so I don’t know. I would guess it wouldn’t do well in the sun. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 7:44 am
Where I have mine growing doesn’t work very well – it sprawls and shades out other plants that I want to see, but I will have to try your suggestion of planting amongst hostas – sound like a good idea to me.
October 9, 2012 at 9:02 am
Chris, Stands of hardy begonia can get quite large and dense so they need to be well back from smaller more delicate plants. They want to seed around my hart’s tongue fern, and I am constantly pulling them out. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 8:00 am
I actually just discovered this plant in a friend’s garden this year and she was good enought to dig a few pieces for me! I planted it as a backdrop to some hosta and so far, so good!
October 9, 2012 at 9:03 am
Dottie, Just remember to mark its location so you don’t think the space is empty (and available) in the spring. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 8:36 am
Have grown them here in GA for many years. They need special attention during our hot summers and should not be allowed to get too dry. Great plant for Fall.
October 9, 2012 at 9:05 am
Glenn, Thanks for writing in about growing hardy begonias where its hot. What zone are you in Georgia? Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Good question. Just a few miles north of Atlanta. Traditionally we have been in Zone 7a. However, given the last few growing seasons, me thinks we are on a journey to Zone 7b. :o)
October 10, 2012 at 10:46 am
Believe it or not, here in southeastern Pennsylvania we are in zone 7a. I just don’t understand how we could be in the same zone as Atlanta. I do not have to worry about my hardy begonias getting enough water in heat and drought. They take care of themselves.
October 9, 2012 at 10:19 am
I have grown a couple of different cultivars in the past, originally purchased from Heronswood and I love them too. if they can be planted in a slightly elevated position you can appreciate the red leaf nodes which stand out in remarkable contrast to the green stems. Likewise, when backlit the reverse of the leaves have an intricate vein pattern, often in deep burgundy which wouldn’t otherwise be noticed. Gorgeous plants.
October 9, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Karen, That’s a good point. I grow mine mostly on my steeply sloped back hillside so you get a great view of them from below as you walk up the hill. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 11:38 am
Here in Philadelphia, I have seen Begonia grandis thriving in some part sun locations with several hours of morning sun. And the leaves do orient toward the light. The rich red undersides of the leaves make this plant an exciting specimen to plant where there’s an opportunity to see the back sides of the leaves. When grown in more sun the plant grows more compactly, with shorter stems.
October 9, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Eric, The back of the leaves are quite lovely. Hardy begonias do grow in some sun but not full sun in my yard. but when they self-sow it is usually into very shaded areas. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 5:21 pm
I bought one of these from you a few years ago and this was the best season for them since then. When is the best time to transplant them as I would like to introduce them into another one of my gardens?
October 9, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Muffy, You can transplant them right now. They will be fine even if the stems break off. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 5:48 pm
A friend with a large, woodsy collection of amazing shade plants generously bestowed some of these hardy begonias upon my garden in 2011. I sat the gift pot in the back yard for a very short time, researching it and waiting to decide where to plant it. I installed it in a shady location in the front yard. The following summer, tiny begonias were appearing in the back yard within a foot of where I sat that pot temporarily. I lifted them carefully, potted them and now they are large enough to pass on…. but I think I will keep them !!! The leaf shape and the red stems are very eye-catching, but those pink blossoms are really showy for fall accents in the shade bed. I, too, have the indoor houseplant that is quite similar and find it amazing that this lookalike is a perennial begonia that comes back each spring.
I’ll be eager to see how far the colony spreads. Thanks for featuring this beauty.
October 10, 2012 at 10:49 am
Beverly, Hardy begonias really do like to propagate themselves. Carolyn
October 9, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Carolyn, I have not read every post so I hope I am not repeating this information. One great aspect of this plant is that a cutting can easily be rooted in a glass of water and semi-sunny window. So gardeners can just snip one of their friend’s plants to get started or easily multiply their own stock.
October 10, 2012 at 10:50 am
Glenn, I didn’t realize this—great advice. Carolyn
October 10, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Whenever I hear “begonias”, I always think of the bright, cheerful specimens in Alastair’s garden. These are delicate showing the variety in this plant family
October 10, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Bag, They are delicate but bright and cheerful in October too. Carolyn
October 10, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Before we were good friends, a good friend handed me an old bread bag full of B. grandis seeds and seedheads. I asked what I was to do with this, to which she said sprinkle them in your garden. That was 15 years ago and I sill have this plant coming up polietly here and there. They are lovely.
October 10, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Les, I am glad you used the term politely. Sometimes I am very impolitely pulling it out of my epimedium collection, but I still love it. Carolyn
October 11, 2012 at 7:11 am
This is listed as grow in a heated greenhouse by the RHS, do you get any frosts in your zone? What are your minimum temperatures? Christina
October 11, 2012 at 7:53 am
Christina, That’s funny. We are much colder than the UK. In the new USDA hardiness zone map we just moved to zone 7a which is a minimum temperature of 0 to 5 degrees F (-17.8 to -15 C) but when I first planted these this area was significantly colder with a minimum of -10 to -5 F. No heated greenhouse required. Carolyn
October 11, 2012 at 7:23 pm
Carolyn I love this type of begonia but had no idea there were hardy ones…I cannot wait to plant some next year.
October 13, 2012 at 12:52 am
[…] – Hardy Begonias for Fall Color In 1991, I took a perennial plants course at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, and was introduced to many wonderful plants that I have since planted in my garden (hellebores being one of them). One of the most fascinating was hardy begonia or Begonia grandis. I just couldn’t believe that there was a plant that looked just like my angel wing begonia house plant but grew outside and came back every year. Carolyn’s Shade Gardens […]
October 13, 2012 at 9:24 am
Hi Carolyn, this plant is not easy to find! At least in my area. i fell in love with hardy begonias some years ago and have made casual searches since. I think i may end up having to mail order. is this a plant that will be available via internet from you next year?
October 13, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Deb, I will not be selling it mail order next year. You can get it from Arrowhead Alpines: http://www.arrowheadalpines.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65_161. I have had very good luck with all the plants I have ordered from them. Carolyn
October 14, 2012 at 6:08 am
You had me googling this one Carolyn, I have a feeling the plant roots or tuber would come through our Winter in Aberdeen. However I think by the time it realises Summer has arrived and maybe gone it would have given up the ghost.
October 15, 2012 at 8:14 am
Alistair, I don’t know, being such a begonia lover, I think you should try it. Carolyn
October 15, 2012 at 6:59 am
Carolyn,
Atlanta is officially zone 8 now. Hardy begonia is one of those odd plants for me here. It thrived at my old house, but hasn’t taken off at the current one. A small clump comes and goes without much drama. I keep thinking it is gone forever and then see a small emergence which quickly disappears. Time to try a new spot, I suppose. The clump at my mother’s in West Chester always makes me want to grow more of this delightful fall bloomer.
October 15, 2012 at 8:16 am
Leelee, Some plants are like that no matter what zone they like. Yellow corydalis and bearsfoot hellebore come to mind. They are a weed in some yards and other gardeners can’t grow them. Carolyn
October 15, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Two things: Hardy begonias are also available from Plant Delights Nursery’s catalog & website (in Raleigh, NC) and comes through just fine from them. Also, because they don’t come up until May, you can interplant them with ephemirals like Virginia blue bells. Of course you have to keep them from overwhelming each other when they start to spread…
Louise
October 16, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Louise, Thanks for the additional source. I sell hardy begonia in the spring and the fall at my nursery, but it is nice to have mail order sources for readers who can’t come to Carolyn’s Shade Gardens. Carolyn
October 16, 2012 at 6:26 pm
What a shame that I’m too far north for this beauty. It’s always nice to discover a new shade loving plant.
October 16, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Marguerite, Sorry to introduce you to a plant and then take it away in the same post. I actually didn’t know that hardy begonia had such a limited range. Carolyn
October 17, 2012 at 5:52 pm
A landscaper gave me a small hardy begonia about 5 years ago and I planted it in shade as he instructed. It has come back reliably since then, but never self seeded. It is always at its glory a few days or weeks before hard frost in our suburban DC garden. I have since split the original plant given me into three, and they all bloom, but very, very late. I almost forget they are there until they bloom, and I have to look very hard for them among the hosta.
October 17, 2012 at 9:57 pm
Shenandoah, Maybe you should try them in a different location. Mine sometimes start blooming in August, the leaves are very ornamental even before the plants bloom, and they tower over most hosta. Carolyn
October 17, 2012 at 9:03 pm
I have never seen them up here for sale since they are at the edge of most of the planting zones in WNY. I do like your idea of planting them with Hosta though.
October 17, 2012 at 9:55 pm
Donna, With climate change and the lake effect in Niagara Falls, maybe you can grow them. Carolyn
November 27, 2013 at 8:34 pm
I live in Oakville , Ontario, Canada, just west of Toronto on Lake Ontario. I have been very successful in growing begonia grandis and get many new plants from the huge numbers of bulbils falling from the leaf axils in October. They like dappled light and rich moist soil here but I find new plants in odd places . Some are far from the mother plants and some in a limestone wall! you should be able to grow them easily in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. I have friends growing them north of here at Acton and in north Toronto. perhaps I could send you bulbils? next autumn.
February 27, 2014 at 6:02 pm
[…] Begonia grand is (hardy begonia) for shady areas seems like something to explore. They reputedly spread easily which would help keep cost down as they would naturalize. They’re winter hardy to zone 7 (we’re 7b) and bloom July to early fall. Here is an example growing at the arboretum on UNC’s campus. I’ve seen this listed as deer resistant. Here is a good article about planting them for fall color. […]
May 24, 2014 at 12:32 am
Got these from a neighbor in Warrensburg, Missouri (zone 5b) where they were invasive, coming up in the gravel path and the grass. Suspect they may be sensitive to the area where they originated (like redbud and some others). Perhaps best obtained from as close to your location as possible? Am trying to grow them in Colorado (6a) and would appreciate knowing if anyone around here has them.
July 10, 2014 at 9:07 pm
Is it available now, July, 2014?
July 11, 2014 at 9:52 am
No, but I should have hardy begonias for pick up at my nursery in the fall.
December 2, 2015 at 10:36 am
Your garden blog is the BEST! Great info, the plain talk of personal experience and great photography!
December 2, 2015 at 5:20 pm
Thank you so much. It is so inspiring to receive encouraging feedback.
September 19, 2016 at 4:54 pm
I grow mine in Southwestern Michigan, Zone 6. They are absolutely beautiful, and I am trying to transplant them to other parts of my very shady garden. They were given to me by a friend, who longer lives here and who mourns not having a garden. They always look in the Spring like they are dead, and I always worry that the frost killed them all, but then – miraculously, they show up every year.
September 20, 2016 at 7:42 pm
They are incredibly hardy and spread like crazy in my garden. They just come up late!
September 10, 2019 at 5:08 pm
I live a little over an hour north of Atlanta Ga and grow these in both full sun and partial shade. They self seed in both areas. I gather the seed pods every fall/winter and share with my friends who have good success with getting a stand from seeds.