Begonias are one of those exotic plants that grow easily in West Central Florida. I've been gifted with a few varieties over the years that I plant as filler among layers of Florida-Friendly foliage throughout my garden. My attention has been on the conditions they needed to thrive without giving much thought to each varieties specific identification.
Begonias bloom luscious, long lasting flowers to rival any perennial. Most are sensitive to frost, but in my garden protection is provided by overhanging mature oak trees. I leave them to the elements all year long.
The ginormous round leaves would be sufficient reason to grow this one. The stunning white clusters of flowers borne on tall scapes above the unique foliage are show-stoppers from mid-winter through spring.
Susan,
from Simply Susan gave me a single plant several years ago that I believe she called Luna Begonia. The rhizome it grows on produced more plants each year following that I divide and transplant to increase their number. I bought another one at
Just Fruits and Exotics in Tallahassee (one of my favorite garden centers ever) that was marked Begonia 'Rotundifolia' and yet looked exactly like the gift from Susan.
I'm confused. Internet research turns up images of Begonia nelumbiifolia that look exactly like these. So is this Begonia rotundifolia, nelumbiifolia or something else entirely? Gosh, it's nice to know the proper name for plants in our gardens isn't it! But honestly, I get so much pleasure from these prolific bloomers and the distinct foliage I guess its proper name is secondary to the fact that it thrives happily in my garden.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come see me on Facebook... additional photos/discussions there...here's the link:
***
Hoe and Shovel on Facebook **
