Begonia semperflorens Gumdrop Coco Rose

The Begonia Gumdrop Coco Rose is a very pretty variety of annual begonia with pink flowers. All its flowers resemble small double roses, pink in colour. The plant forms a compact and rounded clump with shiny bronze chocolate foliage, very flowery until the frosts. This variety, whose faded flowers fall off on their own, maintains a very neat appearance, without maintenance, and a well-branched habit. This easy-to-grow annual plant is easily adopted in containers, hanging baskets, or flower beds, in full sun to accentuate the color of the foliage, or in partial shade.

The Begonia Gumdrop Coco Rose is a non-hardy herbaceous perennial plant, grown as an annual, belonging to the Begoniaceae family. It is a complex hybrid derived from several species native to South America; Chile, Mexico, and Brazil. This variety is part of a series of recent cultivars with a well-rounded and branched habit. It has tender but sturdy fleshy stems, covered with tough, rounded, shiny bronze-chocolate leaves, about 5 cm (2in) long. This very bushy plant quickly reaches 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12in) in all directions. Appearing in April-May and lasting until the first frosts, its abundant flowers are all double, as white as snow. They are grouped in numerous terminal clusters and bloom among very elegant foliage, which is even more colourful when the plant grows in the sun. This variety tolerates partial shade well, but the sun and heat do not prevent it from flowering. It also shows good drought tolerance. Its sterile flowers naturally fade and fall off, reducing maintenance to a minimum.

This Begonia Gumdrop Coco Rose is ideal for full sun, but it can also be placed in partial shade. It is used in flower beds, in containers, hanging baskets, or in large flower pots. It pairs well with plants with light foliage and flowers, such as lobelias, annual Pennisetum, Bacopa, Bidens, as well as petunias. It is sometimes forgotten, but annual begonias can be used to hide a fence, fill in a slightly empty area, or accompany a shrub that lacks colour. In a more exotic spirit, a colourful flower bed can be created by combining this Begonia with cannas or Hedychiums. Finally, it is good to know that there are hardy begonias, such as  Begonia grandis.

Note: Attention, our young plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, repot and store them under cover (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14 °C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before they are installed outdoors once the risk of frost is definitively removed.