Birds And Bees - Begonia Botany

Day 328: Today we have a little basic botany, i.e., the "birds and bees" of Begonias. If you've ever grown tuberous Begonias, you may have noticed that some of the flowers have only a single whorl of petals while others are lush and full. There's nothing wrong with your plant. The difference is just that which exists between the "boys and girls" of the Begonia world. The male flowers (bottom left) are double and put on an ostentatious display. Female flowers (top left) are single, and if you look at the back side of the blossom, you'll see the winged ovaries (right). In the case of Begonias, the ovaries are referred to as "inferior," meaning they occur beneath the flower. In other species of plants (Sunflowers, for example), the ovaries may be "superior," positioned above the petals. Tuberous begonias generally produce clusters of two female flowers and one male. Many growers pinch out the female flowers to encourage stronger development of the males, but I have never felt the need. Every year, I pot up a tuberous Begonia for my front steps and never have a shortage of flowers. Tubers can be dug and wintered over in a cool, dry location.