Begonia 'Joe Hayden'

Why it works here

Sometimes the job is a dark corner under an oak where nothing flowers and everything looks tired. This is the plant for that corner. 'Joe Hayden' is a rhizomatous begonia, which means it creeps along the ground from a thick stem rather than growing up on canes, and the leaves are the show: rounded, crinkled, and so dark green they read as black, with burgundy undersides. In late winter and early spring it sends up pink flower spikes above the foliage. It was bred in 1947 for a contest to find the darkest leaved begonia anybody could make, and it won. It is a hybrid, it has never escaped anywhere, and it is not on any Florida list. It does not feed much of anything, and I am not going to pretend it does. This one is on the site for one reason: it is beautiful in the shade, and shade is where most of my clients run out of ideas.

Care

Shade, rich well drained soil, and even moisture. Let the top of the soil dry a little between waterings. Mulch lightly. Feed with compost in spring. Every few years it gets big and crowded and you divide the rhizome, which is also how you make more of them. If a freeze burns it, cut off the damage and it comes back from the rhizome.

Common problems

Rot. Overwatering and poorly drained soil kill more begonias than anything. Drained and moist, not wet.

Sun scorch. Even a couple of hours of direct afternoon sun will bleach and burn the leaves.

Slugs and snails, mealybugs, and powdery mildew, the usual shade garden crowd. Hand pick the slugs, wipe the mealybugs with a little soap, and give it air for the mildew. No spray.

Frost. It is a tropical. Cover it or accept the dieback.

Pets. Begonias carry calcium oxalates and the roots are the worst part. A dog that digs one up and chews it will drool and vomit. Low severity, but worth knowing.