Begonia × tuberhybrida Non Stop® Yellow - Tuberous begonia

Begonia Nonstop® Yellow is a floriferous tuberous begonia with double yellow flowers, a small seasonal plant ideal for brightening up shady corners of the garden, a balcony, or a terrace. It forms a low cushion that looks splendid in pots, hanging baskets, and flowerbeds. This easy-to-grow, generous begonia requires little maintenance.

Belonging to the group of tuberous hybrids or Begonia x tuberhybrida, this selection is part of the Nonstop® series, a line of F1 begonias created by the German company Ernst Benary Samenzucht GmbH in the early 1970s. This was the first generation of tuberous begonias obtained from F1 seeds, marketed from 1972. This series is characterised by very uniform, compact plants with early and continuous flowering, bearing double flowers 5 to 7-8 (or even 10) cm in diameter, significantly more regular and longer-lasting than those of older garden tuberous begonias.
Botanically, Nonstop® Yellow is a non-hardy tuberous perennial, grown in practice as an annual in our temperate climates if not sheltered in winter. Its is bushy, rounded, well-branched, reaching 20 to 25 cm in height and 30 to 35 cm in spread in one season. The root system has a fleshy tuber, which serves as a storage organ. The brittle stems are succulent, green or sometimes slightly reddish. They bear alternate, asymmetrical, ovate to cordate leaves, 7 to 12 cm long, with dentate edges, of a medium to dark green, slightly glossy; the foliage is deciduous, disappearing in winter when the tuber enters dormancy. 
The flowers are unisexual (male or female) but borne on the same plant; in this variety, the male flowers form round, dense corollas, filled with bright, vivid yellow petals, which almost completely conceal the fertile organs, while a few female flowers are simpler. This flowering renews itself from late May or June until the first autumn frosts, virtually uninterrupted for several months.

In the garden, Begonia Nonstop® Yellow is perfect for creating bright scenes in partial shade. Plant it in tubs and planters on an east or north-facing terrace, or to border a shaded path. In a border, it can be paired with Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’ with its evergreen lime-green foliage, a white Grandiflora begonia and a shade-loving grass like Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’. Alternating these plants will allow you to create a durable, colourful scene which is easy to maintain, simply by replanting the begonia tubers from one year to the next.

The x tuberhybrida group results from complex cross-breeding between several South American Andean species, notably Begonia boliviensis, B. davisii and other species from the cool, humid mountain forests of Bolivia, Peru, and neighbouring regions. The Begonia genus owes its name to the French botanist Charles Plumier, who, during his travels in the Antilles at the end of the 17th century, dedicated these plants to Michel Bégon, intendant of the Navy and patron of the natural sciences.