Tropicals & Tender Perennials: B I G Begonias, 1 by hcmcdole

hcmcdole wrote:
Hey Cindy,

The last one does look like nelumbiifolia. I think there are 2 or 3 types. The ones I saw in Miami (Fairchild Tropical Gardens) get quite large and seem to creep over (or up) walls if planted there. Inside the conservatory there, they had one that must have had leaves over 2 foot across.

They seem easy to root by leaf (water root or other means). I rooted my last one in pea gravel - how easy can that be?

I had ordered one from Yucca Do a few years ago and while it multiplied very well, it never got large and died the same winter. So I bought one in Miami almost 2 years ago and have had it ever since.

I also have two Red Bluffs, one from Mike Flaherty's place which looks nothing like the other one I got from either Kartuz or Ades&Gish (this one looks like Freddie to me).

Some other large leaf ones are Caribbean King and Caribbean Queen. One I have my eye on for BIG leaves is Paul Hernandez. So far it is doing fine but nothing HUGE yet.

Anyway here is a repeat of my nelumbiifolia from Xmas.