Trailing begonia Pink Delight - Begonia odorata

Begonia odorata 'Pink Delight' is a trailing variety with lightly scented flowers. Highly valued for decorating terraces and balconies, this easy-to-grow plant flowers all summer long until October. It regularly produces lovely double flowers, whose shape is reminiscent of camellias, and whose bright pink colour stands out beautifully against the glossy green foliage. Perfect in pots or planters, in a moist, well-draining substrate, it will thrive in light shade. The tubers are not frost-hardy and must be overwintered under cover to be replanted the following year.

Begonia is a member of the Begoniaceae family, which it gave its name to, and which includes only one other monotypic genus, Hillebrandia, a Hawaiian plant very similar in appearance to Begonias. Begonias are very prolific with over 2000 species, plus numerous hybrids such as 'Pink Delight'. The designation "odorata" does not refer to a species in this case, but to a horticultural group, which brings together different trailing cultivars with scented flowering. These are the result of successive hybridisations between various South American species, including Begonia boliviensis, as well as the popular Begonia x tuberhybrida, better known as the Tuberous Begonia.
Begonia 'Pink Delight' forms a very dense and stocky clump, compact enough to be grown in a pot. The fast-growing tuber produces a mature plant within 2 to 3 months, reaching 30 to 35 cm in height and 25 to 30 cm in width. Its fairly fleshy stems are clothed in leaves about ten centimetres long, with a triangular and asymmetrical shape, and a beautifully and irregularly cut edge. A fine, clear green, sometimes very subtly coppery, depending on sunlight, they have a shiny surface. The flowers appear in June and are renewed until October, and all the more so if care is taken to remove faded flowers to encourage the formation of new flower buds. A sparkling bright pink that contrasts well with the foliage while harmonising perfectly with it. The flowers are usually very double. However, some have fewer petals than others, which does not detract from their beauty. Produced in abundance, they provide superb flowering pot displays for summer and early autumn. The plant must be brought indoors before the frosts and the tuber removed from the soil and stored in a cool, shady place, in the same way as a Dahlia.

Grown in light shade to protect the flowers from the sun's too harsh rays, Begonia odorata 'Pink Delight' is ideal for enlivening a partially shaded border outdoors. Pair it with decorative foliage plants like the sumptuous Coleus, which come in practically every colour of the plant palette. To create a strong contrast, you could also plant a few mini-Petunias in your border like Calibrachoa 'Can-Can Rosies Blue', which is adorned all summer with a multitude of small blue-violet flowers. To add an architectural and colourful touch, consider adding a few short ornamental grasses whose leaves move at the first breath of air to give your composition some movement.

The Begonia was named in honour of Michel Bégon, a great plant collector, who in the 17th century held the post of Intendant of the Navy in Rochefort. Today, the city is home to the Begonia Conservatory, a collection born from the acquisition of a collector and greatly enriched under the impetus of an enthusiast.