Wax begonia

Begonia × semperflorens-cultorum

In other languages: IJsbegonia (Nederlands) · Bégonia semperflorens (Français)

Wax begonia is a compact bedding plant bred from species from Brazil and neighbouring regions. It forms a low, even mound of 15–25 cm with glossy, waxy leaves in green or bronze-red. From May until the first frost it flowers without any fuss, with small white, pink or red blooms. Gardeners value it because it thrives in sun, partial shade and shade alike, and because it needs hardly any work. You often see it in bedding schemes, edges and containers.

Caution: All parts are poisonous if eaten and irritate the mouth and stomach; cats and dogs are especially at risk. Do not plant it where pets or young children may nibble it.

Updated on 10 October 2026

Light
Sun to shade
not fussy
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
acid to neutral
Hardiness
down to 2 °C
protect in harsh winters
Size
0.25 m
tall, 0.25 m wide
Flowering
May–October

Key facts
Height	0.25 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Yes, take care with children and pets
Flowering	May–October

Identify

Wax begonia: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Low, even mound 15–25 cm tall and as wide.
Leaves: Round to oval, glossy and waxy; green or bronze-red.
Stem: Fleshy and rather brittle.
Flower: 2–3 cm, single or double; male flowers with a tuft of yellow stamens, female flowers with a winged ovary behind the petals.
Colour: White, pink, red and bicoloured.

Flowering: May–October · Sowing: January–February · Plants: May–June

In your garden

Why grow it?

Flowers non-stop from May until the first frost.
Thrives in sun, partial shade and shade.
No deadheading needed: it stays tidy.
Compact and even: ideal for neat edges, beds and containers.
Bronze-leaved varieties give colour even without flowers.

Wax begonia: where does it grow best?

Sun, partial shade or shade: bronze-leaved varieties cope best with full sun.
Humus-rich, free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to neutral.
Evenly moist, but never wet for long.
Plant 15–20 cm apart.

Light: Sun, partial shade and shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Acid or neutral
Moisture: Normal
Size: 0.25 m tall, 0.25 m wide
Hardiness: Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

Lobelia: Small blue flowers beside white, pink or red.
Floss flower: Lilac powder-puff blooms in a colourful bedding edge.
Sweet alyssum: A white edge at the front of the bed.
Ferns: Fresh green in shade.
French marigold: Orange and yellow beside bronze foliage, in a sunny spot.

Maintenance

Wax begonia: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

Plant out after mid-May, once there is no more risk of night frost.
Harden off home-sown plants for a week first: outside by day, inside at night.
Loosen the soil and mix in a little compost; in containers use fresh potting compost.
Set the plants at the same depth as in their pots, 15–20 cm apart, and firm gently.
Water in, but do not drench them.

Care

Watering: Water moderately and let the surface dry slightly in between; never leave the soil wet for long.
Feeding: In pots a flowering-plant feed every two to three weeks; in the ground, compost at planting is enough.
Deadheading: Not needed: spent flowers drop off by themselves.
Pots: Use a pot with a drainage hole and do not leave water in the saucer.

Tip: Choose bronze-leaved varieties for a sunny spot and green-leaved ones for shade: the plant will then look good all summer.

Wax begonia: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is not needed: it stays compact by itself and flowers until the frost.

How:

At most, remove an untidy or damaged stem.
Cut out stems with grey mould straight away.
Use healthy trimmed stems as cuttings.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed: Sow indoors in January–February at about 22 °C. Mix the dust-fine seed with a little fine sand, scatter it on moist seed compost and do not cover. Keep moist under glass or plastic; the seedlings grow slowly.
Cuttings: In summer: stem cuttings of 5–8 cm root easily in moist compost or in water.

Wax begonia: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 2 °C: protect in harsh winters.

Not hardy: the first frost kills it.
Treat it as an annual and clear the plants after the first frost.
To keep one, pot up a plant in September and grow it as a houseplant on a bright windowsill.

Diseases and pests

Stem rot: Stems turn soft and black at the base in soil that is too wet. Water less and make sure drainage is good.
Grey mould: Grey fluff on leaves and flowers in long spells of wet weather. Remove affected parts and do not plant too closely.
Slugs: They nibble young plants. Pick them off in the evening and protect the plants for the first weeks.
Damping off: Seedlings collapse. Sow in clean pots with fresh seed compost and ventilate daily.

Through the year

January: Sow indoors at 22 °C, leaving the seed uncovered.
February: Keep sowing. Keep seedlings light and warm.
March: Prick out seedlings into small pots.
April: Grow young plants on in a bright spot.
May: After mid-May, harden off and plant out.
June: Flowering starts. Water in dry spells.
July: Take cuttings. Feed plants in pots.
August: Flowering continues. Feed plants in pots.
September: Pot up a plant to overwinter indoors.
October: Flowers until the first frost. Clear afterwards.

Use

Edible and useful

Not edible. All begonias are poisonous, especially the tubers and roots: they contain oxalates which, when chewed, cause a burning feeling and irritation of the mouth and throat, with drooling and vomiting, in children as well as in cats and dogs; grazing animals and rabbits can fall ill from them too. Tuberous begonias overwinter dry in a box or pot: store the tubers out of reach of children and pets, and not with the potatoes. Indoor begonias often stand on the windowsill, at a child’s height and within a cat’s reach: put them higher up or in another room. The flowers of tuberous begonia sometimes appear on lists of edible flowers, but because of the oxalates they are best not eaten, especially if you have kidney stones. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

You and this species

Did you know?

Semperflorens means ‘always flowering’: it blooms without a break until frost puts an end to it.
Begonias have separate male and female flowers on the same plant; you can tell the female ones by the winged ovary behind the flower.
The genus is named after Michel Bégon, a French official and plant lover who supported the botanist Charles Plumier around 1700.

Garden plants · All species