To educate and inspire gardeners in the art and science of horticulture on the West Coast.
Online Community
- Sign up for our E-newsletter:
- My Favorites: mark your favorite items and calendar region
- Bay Area Public Gardens map
Search the site
"Pacific Horticulture is where I turn to read real articles about real gardens and real plants; it's where I find information that educates and inspires me."
Web Extra
A (Hardier) Begonia Resource Guide
For the article A Bounty of (Hardier) Begonias
)
Jim Mecca
Begonia boliviensis.
Many members of the genus Begonia are strong and durable, delightful in their variety, and quite at home outdoors in areas that had traditionally been considered inhospitable. Their memorable attributes are countless, the result of more than a century of hybridization and selection—good breeding, you might say. Lately, author Derick Pitman has been experimenting with some of the hardier new selections of begonia in his Sacramento garden (USDA zone 9, Sunset zone 14). As a companion to his article on some of the hardier begonias in the October 2009 issue of Pacific Horticulture, we offer this list of sources for those hardier begonias.
Nursery Sources
The following nurseries stock a good selection of the hardier begonias:
)
Jim Mecca
Begonia pedatifida, one of the parents of the hardy hybrid 'Metallic Mist'
Cistus Nursery
22711 NW Gillihan Road
Portland (Sauvie Island), OR 97231
503/621-2233
www.cistus.com
Online catalog and walk-in
Far Reaches Farm
1818 Hastings Ave
Port Townsend, WA 98368
360/385 5114
www.farreachesfarm.com
Online plant list and walk-in (appointments only)
Kartuz Greenhouses
1408 Sunset Drive
Vista, CA 92081
760/941-3613, fax 760/941-1123
www.kartuz.com
Online catalog, mail-order only
)
Jim Mecca
Begonia taliensis, one of the parents of the hardy hybrid 'Metallic Mist'.
Plant Delights
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, NC 27603
919/772-4794
www.plantdelights.com
Online catalog, mail-order only; walk-in by appointment only
Secret Garden Growers
29100 S Needy Road
Canby, OR 97013
503/651-2006
www.secretgardengrowers.com
Online catalog and walk-in
)
Julie Vanderwilt
Begonia 'Darlene Fuentes'.
For Further Research
The following short list of books offers further information for the serious grower of begonias:
Julie Vanderwilt
Begonia helmsleyana, a parent of the hardy hybrid 'Silver Splendor.'
)
Julie Vanderwilt
Begonia 'Corallina de Lucerna', an old hybrid that has proven relatively hardy in Sacramento gardens.
Brilmayer, Bernice. All About Begonias. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 2007.
Tebbitt, Mark C. Begonias: Cultivation, Identification and Natural History. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 2005.
Thompson, Mildred and Edward. Begonias: The Complete Reference Guide. New York: Times Books, 1981.
Julie Vanderwilt
Begonia 'Little Brother Montgomery', a sibling of 'Connie Boswell' and thought to be equally hardy.
The American Begonia Society was founded in California in the early 1900s. It remains a valuable resource for those interested in begonias. Visit the society at wwwbegonias.org..