Begonia semperflorens
Wax begonia
Common names: Bedding begonia, Begonia
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Description
The Ice Begonia is a reliable groundcover for semi‑shaded beds, boxes, and pots. From May until the first frost it continuously produces small, delicate, bright flowers in white, pink, and red on glossy green or bronze‑red, fleshy foliage. It blooms reliably even where many summer flowers fail, in light shade, and requires little care.
Care instructions
Plant after the mid‑May frost in loose, humus‑rich soil in semi‑shade or light shade; it tolerates full afternoon sun only with good watering. Water evenly at the soil surface, avoiding wetting the leaves, and prevent waterlogging. Withered flowers drop off on their own; pruning is rarely needed. It is frost‑sensitive; its season ends before the first autumn frost.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingJan–Feb
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 18 °C, ideally 24 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, moist
Wax begonias want loose, humus-rich and well-drained soil that holds moisture but does not allow waterlogging. Before planting, work some sand and mature compost into heavy clay soils.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
May–Sep
When planting from mid-May, add some mature compost to the bed or planting hole; as a moderate feeder, that is often enough to start. From about July, support the continuous flowering with an organic liquid feed in the water (e.g. diluted plant liquid feed). Alternatively, work horn shavings in shallowly in spring, which release their nitrogen slowly.
Overwintering
Wax begonias are not hardy and are killed by frost at 0 °C. The simplest way is to grow them as annuals and sow anew in spring. If you want to save the plant, cut it back hard in autumn before the first frost, bring it indoors in a bright, frost-free spot at around 10 to 16 °C (bright stairwell, cool conservatory) and water only sparingly, the cooler the less. From March back into the light, and from the end of May, after the Ice Saints, outdoors.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
Sowing (December to February): Wax begonias are light germinators. Scatter the dust-fine seeds on moist seed compost and press them down only lightly, without covering them. Keep the seed tray at 22 to 24 °C and cover it with a pane of glass or clear film to retain humidity. Germination takes about 2 to 3 weeks, depending on temperature. After around 6 to 8 weeks the seedlings are strong enough to be pricked out into individual pots. Since commercially available wax begonias are almost always F1 hybrids, the characteristics of the parent plant (colour, habit) are not passed on true to type in seed you collect yourself. Expect colourful surprises.
Cuttings (spring to summer): Cut healthy, non-flowering shoots 7 to 10 cm long just below a leaf node and remove the lowest leaves. Insert the cutting into moist seed compost or stand it in a glass of water to root first (change the water every 2 to 3 days). In a bright, warm spot (from about 20 °C) out of direct midday sun, enough roots form after 3 to 4 weeks for planting. Covering with film or a mini greenhouse raises the humidity and speeds up rooting. Cuttings reliably pass on the characteristics of the parent plant. This makes sense if you want to keep a particular colour or habit.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
For signed-in gardeners
Sign in to see symptoms, severity, season and prevention for every one of your plants.
Free account, set up in 30 seconds.
For your garden
Grow Wax begonia yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
Notes from real gardens
What other gardeners have written down about this variety, anonymous and voluntary.
No notes shared yet. Will you be the first to write one down?