Begonia boliviensis Santa Cruz

Given an unlabelled plant some years ago, we have eventually got the right name for it but what ever it is called, it will knock your socks off! They only come into their own in the late summer and will need a dry frost-free winter rest but amazing for 3 months. An upright plant with a good structure and deep red long-lasting flowers alongside bright green foliage. Supplied as dormant tubers, often showing signs of growth.

Planting Instructions

In most gardens in the UK these will have to be started off in a pot even if they will spend the summer in the garden.  We would suggest that you'll need an 8" (20 cm) or larger pot and do use a good compost. Plant the tuber with the rounded surface down and the buds within the folds uppermost. Cover with 3" (7 cm) of compost and grow in frost free conditions till you can put them outside. Keep regularly watered in the summer and perhaps liquid feed monthly. Grow in good light but ideally not in direct sunlight.  Move into frost free conditions in the autumn and reduce watering to achieve dormancy, pull away the growth and knock out of the compost and store dry and frost free. Check the remaining compost for vine weevil larvae, pale c shaped fat things, they love Begonias. 

Plant Details

Flowering  Late summer

Height        18” (45cm)