Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | red |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | trailing |
| Mature height | 15 inches |
| Spread | 18 inches |
| Light requirements | partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | moist |
| Plant origin | hybrid |
Dragon Wing® Red Begonia
Botanical name: Begonia ‘Dragon Wing Red’
A wonderful shade loving and heat tolerant variety perfect for garden beds, hanging baskets and patio containers; vigorous mounded plants produce lovely blooms among glossy, green foliage; deadhead to encourage new growth throughout the season.
Other names: Cane, Angel Wing
Ornamental Features
Dragon Wing® Red Begonia features dainty nodding red orchid-like flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to mid fall. Its attractive glossy pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Dragon Wing® Red Begonia is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a trailing habit of growth, eventually spilling over the edges of hanging baskets and containers. 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 is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. 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
Dragon Wing® Red Begonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Container Planting, Hanging Baskets
Planting and Growing
Dragon Wing® Red Begonia will grow to be about 15 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 3 years.
This plant should be grown in a location that is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. 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.
Dragon Wing® Red Begonia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its trailing habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
