Author: begoniasocmelb

Want to know more about the Melbourne Begonia Society?

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B. masoniana,
B. ‘Tivoli Queen’,
B. wollnyii,
B ‘Escargot’,

The aims of the Melbourne Begonia Society (MBS) include:

  • Stimulate and promote interest in begonias.
  • Encourage the introduction and development of new types of these plants.
  • Gather and publish information in regard to kinds, propagation and culture of begonias.
  • Issue a bulletin which will be distributed to all members of the Society.
  • Bring into friendly contact all who enjoy and grow begonias.
  • Support the preservation of begonia species through growing of seed.

Website | About Us | Contact Us | Membership | Facebook

The Rise of the Rhizomatous Begonia

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B. melanobullata
B. ‘Angel Glow’,
B. microsperma,
B. ‘Little Ruby’,

Rhizomatous begonias are the largest group in cultivation. There are well over 700 known species and hundreds of cultivars both named and un-named. As the name suggests, these begonias have a rhizome that is essentially a thickened stem.

The leaves of rhizomes are very diverse in both size and shape and mostly come from Mexico, Central and South America and more recently, Asia. These plants bloom once a year, usually in late winter or early spring, producing a gorgeous flower cluster of very graceful habit. Whether in flower or not they have a spectacular display of foliage.

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Members Meeting | 01 June 2019

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B. sizemoreae,
B. ‘Little Ruby’,
B. gehrtii,

Our June meeting will be held on Saturday 01 June commencing at 12.30 p.m. with winter soup lunch, followed  by the main meeting which commences at 1.30 p.m.

  • Venue: N.G. Wishart Senior Citizens Hall, 964 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin, Victoria.
  • Speakers: Matthew King (Rysett Tools) – Types of secateurs and their uses and Ron Lewis – Mealy bugs and how to treat them.

Our meetings are held bi-monthly on the second Saturday of February, April and August and on the first Saturday of June, October and December, each year (subject to last minute changes).

If you have not previously attended a meeting, please contact us beforehand as there are often other begonia-related activities organised which may be held at other venues.

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Semperflorens Begonias | How Pretty Are These?

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B. Baby Wings,
B. ‘Charm’,
B. fischeri,
B. Baby Wings, Pink,

Semperflorens cultorum begonias are often known to gardeners as wax begonias or bedding begonias. The name means ‘always flowering’ and indeed these will flower throughout the year, given the right location.

Leaves can be quite colourful in greens, bronzes and variegation of green/yellow. Flowers range from dark red, through pinks to white. New varieties often feature a double flower to add to their attraction.

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Tuberous Begonias | Stunningly Pretty

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B. ‘Guy Chart’,
B. ‘Bernat Klein’,
B. ‘Fred Martin’,
B. ‘Bali Hi’,

Tuberous begonias are grown for their magnificent flowers. They come in many varied tints of white, cream, yellow, orange, pink, red and bi-colours.

Environment: Tuberous begonias do best in partial shade or filtered sunlight and sheltered from strong winds. The right amount of light is often the key to success. The more gentle sunlight tuberous begonias receive, then the larger and more abundant the flowers will be.

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What Are Cane-Like Begonias?

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B. ‘Guy Savard’
B. ‘Chocolate Box’,
B. dichroa,
B. maculata var. elegantissima

There are over 200 different species and many cultivars of cane-like begonias. Their ornamental value is appreciated and their large and usually long-lasting pendulous flower clusters are widely admired.

Cane-like begonias are a great garden plant and need not be confined to pot culture. They have erect or semi-erect stems with swollen nodes similar to bamboo. Most send up new shoots from the base of the plant. There are many leaf shapes and colours varying from dark to light green.  Silver and white dots and splashes are prominent on many.

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Welcome to the Melbourne Begonia Society!

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B. wollnyii,

The Melbourne Begonia Society began as a study group of the Victorian Begonia Society. The inaugural meeting of the Melbourne Study Group took place in 1995 under the umbrella of the Victorian Begonia Society and was held at the Astronomer’s Cottage, Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

As the Study group grew it moved to larger premises at Tucker Road Primary School in Bentleigh.

In October 1999, members of the Study Group voted to form their own society to be called The Melbourne Begonia Society Inc. The society continued to thrive and now, in 2019, has approximately 80 members.

  • As of January 2019, the Melbourne Begonia Society has a new meeting venue at the N.G. Wishart Senior Citizen Hall, 964 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin.