Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | white |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 3 feet |
| Spread | 4 feet |
| Light requirements | partial shade to shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
Lily Pad Begonia
Botanical name: Begonia nelumbiifolia
An outstanding begonia with huge, rounded glossy green leaves for a visual impact in the garden; clusters of white blooms rise above the foliage in late winter into spring; grows well in humid conditions and can get quite large in frost free climates.
Other names: Lilypad Begonia, Lotus Leaved Begonia
Ornamental Features
Lily Pad Begonia features showy clusters of white orchid-like flowers with gold throats rising above the foliage from late winter to early spring. Its attractive large glossy round leaves remain dark green in color with distinctive crimson veins throughout the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Lily Pad Begonia is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial 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 is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Lily Pad Begonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
Lily Pad Begonia will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.
This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America.
Lily Pad Begonia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
