Down the Begonia Rabbit Hole.

Begonias have recently acquired a top-5 spot in my houseplant hierarchy. They’ve always been a favorite, but now it’s kicking into high gear.

I’ve come off a long Begonia research bender, and I learned that there is so much more to these beauties than I had ever expected. It was one of those deep dive situations where one ends up with more questions than answers. I was inspired by a recent trip to Hirt’s Gardens where I purchased Begonia “Baby Dress” and Begonia “Autumn’s Best.” I hadn’t gone there with the intention of buying Begonias, but they really stood out to me for their vivid color, frilly foliage and visual uniqueness among houseplants. In a sea of green, they really stand out, and I wanted to learn more about what makes these plants so obsession-worthy.

It turns out, that’s no simple undertaking. There are many varieties of Begonias, and it wasn’t surprising to find that sources aren’t always in agreement about how Begonias are grouped together. The simplest classification system that I was able to find came from Costa Farms, who was kind enough to reply to my email and offer some clarification. According to Costa Farms, Begonias are classified by the types of roots they produce. They said, “They may be tuberous-rooted, fibrous-rooted, or Rhizomatous, sending their leaves up from a creeping rhizome, or root-like structure that is actually a modified underground stem.” This was easier to wrap my head around than some other sources who detailed as many as twelve different classifications of Begonias. However, this simplification just means that “fibrous-rooted” encompasses a larger grouping of Begonias. Cane Begonias and Dragon Wing Begonias will both fall into the fibrous-rooted category, for example, rather than separate classifications.

As one of the largest, oldest, and most researched genuses among houseplants, Begonias are a no-brainer. There is a Begonia for everyone, truly.

I have tried to narrow this down to what is most relevant to the houseplant community. The Begonia page will likely be a work in progress for a long time because there is just so much to learn about Begonias, and that’s exciting. I plan on continuing to add as I learn and understand more.

Without further ado, please check out our new Begonia page!