Begonia multiflora Helene Harms

We are witnessing the revival of one of the first varieties hybridized with the Begonia 'Hélène Harms'. It is quite similar to the original Begonias as discovered in the Andes in Peru and Bolivia in the late 19th century.

Begonias belong to the family of Begoniaceae and can be tuberous or rhizomatous. Native to intertropical rainforests, they mainly come from South America but also from Africa or Asia. To put it simply, rhizomatous Begonias are those that continuously grow in the forest and do not experience a dry season.

On the other hand, tuberous Begonias live in the same areas but at higher altitudes on slightly brighter sites and experience a dry season that causes them to lose their leaves. This is the time for them to produce fruits and replenish nutrient reserves.

Begonia 'Hélène Harms' belongs to the category of tuberous plants. It blooms from July to October. It reaches a maturity of 30cm (12in) in width and 40cm (16in) in height. It inherited the compact habit of the Andean variety from which it is a direct descendant. It is not trailing. In the early 20th century, it enjoyed a long and undeniable success in gardens. Today, we are rediscovering it in France and Europe thanks to the constant work of many amateur and professional gardeners.

Begonia 'Hélène Harms' has deciduous, dark green, alternate, and velvety foliage. The leaf blades are always asymmetrical; the petioles have stipules at their base. The stems bearing the flowers are dark purple. The flowers of this Begonia are a beautiful bright yellow. This somewhat retro variety bears the mark of a manifest dimorphism. Indeed, Begonias are monoecious, meaning that on the same plant, some flowers bear exclusively male attributes, while others bear female attributes. Male flowers always appear first and are simple. Female flowers are larger and therefore more noticeable. The plant is herbaceous and often succulent. It is a shade plant that will grow better if it receives a few hours of sunlight per day. It prefers light soils rich in organic matter (well-decomposed garden compost) that do not retain moisture. Additionally, it is quite susceptible to powdery mildew and nematodes and requires regular but not excessive watering. The Begonia is frost-sensitive and cannot tolerate negative temperatures. For this reason, it is often cultivated in containers that can be easily brought indoors in heated greenhouses or under a conservatory at the first frost. If it is in the ground, it is time to remove them and store them in a sheltered place until the following spring. In the meantime, it will pair very well with the trailing Begonia 'Belleconia Pink', its more modern alter ego, or beautiful orange or red Cannas.