PLANT LIBRARY

Group/Class:  Tuberous Begonia Hybrid

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

Large, brightly colored double blooms stand out against deep green foliage on this easy to grow and low maintenance series; shade and rain tolerant, showing excellent performance in garden beds, borders and containers; deadhead to encourage new blooms

Ornamental Features

AmeriHybrid® Ruffled Apricot Begonia features dainty nodding peach round flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early fall. Its attractive serrated heart-shaped leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

AmeriHybrid® Ruffled Apricot Begonia is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects
• Disease

AmeriHybrid® Ruffled Apricot Begonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

AmeriHybrid® Ruffled Apricot Begonia will grow to be about 20 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

AmeriHybrid® Ruffled Apricot Begonia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.