Begonia Non Stop® Apricot - Tuberous begonia

Begonia Nonstop® Apricot belongs to the excellent Nonstop® series, renowned for its abundant and continuous flowering. Its compact growth is perfectly suited for adorning planters, pots, and shaded borders. Its yellow and apricot tones gently warm summer scenes until the first frosts.

Members of the Begoniaceae family, tuberous begonias are complex hybrids known as Begonia × tuberhybrida. The Nonstop® series was created by Ernst Benary in Germany and introduced in 1972 as the first F1 line of tuberous begonias. Since then, this line has become essential for producing plants from pelleted seeds. "Apricot" refers to a colour within the Nonstop® range; it can resemble shades of Orange or Sunset, always with double flowers. It is a small plant with a rounded, compact habit, reaching 25 cm in height and 23–30 cm in width. It produces several fleshy stems from a flattened tuber. The flowering period, from late May-June to October, features double, 5 to 10 cm wide corollas with numerous slightly ruffled petals, in a palette ranging from pale yellow to rich apricot; the larger male flowers alternate with simpler, smaller female flowers. The foliage is medium green, glossy, asymmetrical, with a scalloped margin; the stems are thick and brittle. In autumn, the foliage yellows and then disappears. This is when the tuber enters dormancy.

Plant this Nonstop® Apricot begonia in lightly shaded pots or planters; it will quickly fill its container. Pair its warm tones with decorative foliage: Heuchera ‘Cherry Cola’, Hosta ‘June’, Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’ for its structural appeal, and Fuchsia ‘Princess Dollar’ for its brightly coloured bells. At the front of a border sheltered from strong sun, plant it in front of Hydrangea paniculata or Japanese anemones.

Introduced to Europe in the 19th century from Andean species (Bolivia, Peru), tuberous begonias have been the subject of extensive hybridisation programmes. The development of the Nonstop® lines popularised F1 seed-grown begonias and made this balcony flower accessible to amateur gardeners and public spaces from the 1970s onwards.