What Is The Most Beautiful Begonia?

Introduction

The begonias are a large family of plants, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, although some species have adapted to cooler climates in the temperate zones as well.

From the hundreds of different species within this genus, there are only a few that stand out in terms of beauty and showiness – these are the ones we will discuss in this article, so you can find out what is the most beautiful begonia for your garden or home!

Leaf Begonias

Leaf begonias are by far one of the most popular types of begonias due to their wide range of leaf shapes, sizes and colors, making them highly versatile and attractive plants for any garden or home interior décor.

Some popular varieties include Rex begonias, with their impressive veined and variegated leaves, angel wing begonias which have long pointed leaves with striking white markings, and painted-leaf or fancy leaf begonias which have colorful foliage in shades of green, red or bronze with unique patterned markings on each leaf.

But one particular variety really stands out from all others – it’s called ‘Iron Cross’ and it has stunningly deep purple markings in a cross pattern on its bright green leaves! This is without doubt one of the most beautiful leaf begonias you can grow, as it provides a stunning display throughout spring and summer!

Polka Dot Begonia (Begonia Maculata)

Another popular variety is polka dot begonia (Begonia maculata), which has an interesting leaf pattern that resembles tiny dots or freckles all over its foliage – hence its common name!

This plant is also very versatile, as it’s just as happy growing indoors as it is outdoors in partial shade or filtered sunlight areas, plus it produces masses of small pink flowers during summertime! It’s also relatively easy to grow – just make sure to keep its soil moist but not soggy at all times, as too much water will cause root rot and kill off your plant quickly!

Flower Begonia

Flowering types of begonias provide an extra dimension to their beauty with their long-lasting blooms in shades from white through pink to deep reds – perfect for adding color to your garden beds or containers!

Some popular varieties include dragonwing begonias which have huge clusters of bright pink flowers throughout summer, hybrida tuberous begonias with large double flowers in an array of colors, fibrous-rooted begonias which produce masses of small star-shaped blooms, plus angel wing tuberous begonias which bear profuse clusters of tiny bell-shaped flowers during summertime – all guaranteed to add a splash of color to any outdoor space!

Winter Hardy Begonia Species

Some types are even hardy enough to survive winter outdoors in temperate climates such as US Department Of Agriculture hardiness zones 8 through 11 – great if you want a showy plant that will last year after year without having to bring it indoors during wintertime!

Examples include fragrant rain lily (Begonia odora) which produces fragrant yellow blooms from late autumn through winter, cascading wax begonias (Begonia x semperflorens) whose foliage turns dark purple during winter months, plus cane-like angel wing tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybrida) whose cascading stems bear clusters of pink bell-shaped flowers throughout autumn and winter months!

Wax Begonia Varieties

Wax begonias are also very attractive plants that come in various sizes depending on their variety – some can reach up to 3 feet tall while others are quite short and compact at around 1 foot high.

They have wide glossy leaves that come in various shades ranging from dark green through bronze to deep reds – perfect for adding texture and color contrast to any garden bed or container planting!

Popular varieties include ‘Big Red’ with its huge dark green leaves edged with deep red margins, ‘Nonstop Mocca’ whose large bronze foliage is covered with small white dots, plus ‘Bonfire’ which has unique yellowish-green foliage edged with deep red margins around each leaf – all guaranteed to bring life into any outdoor space!

Elatior Begonias

Elatior type begonias are another popular choice due to their compact size and eye-catching displays – they reach around 1 foot high but spread up to 2 feet wide so they’re ideal for filling up any gaps between plants or creating a colorful ground cover effect beneath taller shrubs and trees!

These plants come in various shades ranging from pure white through shades of pink and lavender – they also produce masses of small but brightly colored flowers during summertime so they’re guaranteed to draw attention wherever they’re planted!

Tuberous Begonias Finally there’s the tuberous type –

these plants typically reach up 1 foot high but can get quite bushy so make sure you give them plenty space when planting them out into your garden beds or containers!

They produce stunningly bright double flowers throughout summertime in shades ranging from pure white through pinks, peach tones right up through oranges & yellows – perfect for adding vibrant splashes of colour into any outdoor space!

Examples include ‘Apricot Delight’ whose huge orange double blooms will light up your garden beds throughout summertime, ‘Purple Picotee’ whose petals are edged with lighter purple tones giving each flower an attractive two tone effect, plus ‘Queen Petunia’ whose huge salmon-pink colored double blooms will draw attention wherever you plant them – these plants really do deserve the title “most beautiful begoina”!

Cultural Requirements for Each Type Of Begonia

Each type comes with its own list of requirements when it comes to cultural care: Leaf types need good light levels but avoid direct sunlight (Rex & fancy leaf varieties work best indoors), polka dot types need partial shade & regular watering (never let them dry out), flowering types require full sun & regular deadheading (remove spent blooms regularly), winter hardy species need full sun & well drained soils (avoid waterlogging), wax varieties like partial shade & moist soils (never soggy), elatior types require full sun & well drained soils (avoid waterlogging), finally tubers require full sun & rich soils (add lots organic matter).

All these cultural requirements should be taken into consideration when planting your beautiful begoinas so they can achieve maximum beauty potential within your garden/home environment.

Best Practices For Growing Beautiful Begoniasis

When growing any type begoina, make sure that you give them ample space so they don’t get overcrowded by other plants nearby – this will ensure maximum light levels reaching each individual plant resulting in healthier more vigorous growth overall giving you better displays over time.

Also make sure that each type gets its own cultural conditions as per listed above – too much sun/shade/water may lead stunted growth & poor quality displays over time so make sure that everything’s balanced correctly before planting out into your desired location(s).

Lastly ensure regular deadheading/pruning takes place throughout the season where applicable – this will keep everything looking neat & tidy while promoting new growth over time giving bigger more impressive displays overall season after season!.

Conclusion

The variety of different species & varieties within the family Begoniaceae makes choosing the most beautiful one quite difficult however there are several standouts amongst them such as Iron Cross Rex Begoniagreen/purple leaves, Polka Dot Maculata pink flowers, Dragonwing Summer Double Pink Blooms, Hybrida Tuberous Double Orange Blooms, Angel Wing Tuberous Bell Shaped Pink Blooms etc…

All these varieties provide stunning displays within our gardens year after year when given correct cultural conditions such as adequate light levels/watering regimes etc… So why not try growing one yourself this season?!