Begonia Stonehedge Light Pink Bronze Leaf - Interspecific hybrid begonia

Begonia Stonehedge™ Light Pink Bronze Leaf is a large, multiflorous, interspecific begonia designed for borders and large containers. Its large, soft pink flowers, held above glossy brown-bronze foliage, quickly form a dense dome reminiscent of a small flowering hedge. Very floriferous all summer and with excellent heat tolerance, this begonia can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in the ground or in large pots, where it remains decorative until the first frosts.

Belonging to the Begoniaceae family, this cultivar is part of the group of interspecific tuberous begonias resulting from the cross-breeding of several Andean species. The Stonehedge™ series, created by the German house Benary, brings together well-branched F1 begonias with a rounded, voluminous habit, intended for large borders.
The variety 'Light Pink Bronze Leaf' is distinguished by its rich bronze-coloured foliage and its light pink flowers. It is a perennial in the botanical sense, but behaves as an annual in a temperate climate, as it cannot tolerate frost. The plant has a flattened tuber. Its stems are thick, succulent, and well-branched, giving it a bushy, large cushion shape. In the ground, a well-established specimen reaches on average 70 to 100 cm in height and 60 to 80 cm in width, while in a large pot, it remains slightly more compact. The foliage consists of large, heart-shaped, asymmetrical leaves, with finely crenate edges, often measuring around 10 cm long, of a dark bronze-chocolate colour with darker veins. The inflorescences bear distinct male and female flowers, with 4 main tepals, 4 to 5 cm in diameter, bright pastel pink with a centre of yellow stamens. Flowering lasts from June until the first frosts. Faded flowers drop off by themselves as the plant is self-cleaning. Hardiness is low, around 0 °C for the above-ground parts; the tuber must be overwintered between 5 and 10 °C, dry and protected from frost.

Like other begonias, Stonehedge appreciates a humus-rich, light, and well-drained soil that remains moist, and light partial shade to gentle sun. But its bronze foliage tolerates sun better than green-leaved forms. This variety needs a temperature between 10 and 25°C to develop properly.

Impressive and very colourful Stonehedge™ Light Pink Bronze Leaf is an excellent plant for borders or large pots on the terrace. It can be grown as a houseplant or conservatory plant. It can be planted in a row to frame a path, leaving enough space for each plant to form a rounded clump. It pairs particularly well with purple grasses like Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’, the contrasting foliage of Coleus Copinto Cuba Libre or Ipomoea Sweet Heart Jet Black, and with large fragrant plants like Heliotrope ‘Marine’. A few clumps repeated in a border or a large planter create an elegant connecting thread from early summer until the first frosts.