Begonia
Begonia Upright
Begonia
Also known as: Bedding Begonia, Mounded Begonia, Wax Begonia
- Annuals Containers and Baskets
- Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade
- 20–45 cm
- 20–35 cm
- 20–30 cm
- Low
- Filler
Bloom window: Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Fall
Toxic to pets.
- Soil
- Well-drained, Loam
- Native status
- Introduced
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Foliage habit
- Deciduous
- Landscape use
- Border, Container, Mass planting
- Attracts
- Bees
Care guides
Watering
Upright Begonias feature fleshy, succulent stems and waxy leaves that naturally store water, giving them commendable short-term drought resilience. However, they perform best when the soil is kept evenly moist but never saturated. Water deeply at the base early in the morning whenever the top 2–3 cm of soil dries out completely. Avoid overhead watering to protect the dense cluster of upright flower buds from stem rot or fungal spotting.
Sunlight
This classification offers remarkable lighting versatility. For hot, open landscape beds receiving full prairie sun, always prioritize bronze-foliaged upright varieties, as their rich pigmentation acts as a natural sunblock. Green-leafed upright varieties prefer partial shade or filtered afternoon relief to keep their foliage from washing out or crisping at the margins.
Pruning
Exceptionally low maintenance. The majority of commercial upright bedding begonias are self-cleaning, meaning spent flowers drop away cleanly on their own to make way for new flushes. No major pruning is required. If plants in border edges become slightly leggy or uneven by late August, you can pinch back the main terminal shoots by a third to immediately stimulate dense, compact, and bushy lateral growth.