Wax Begonia

Wax begonias are commonly grown outdoors as bedding plants, edging, and container plants. They also adapt well to containers indoors when given bright, indirect light. In Austin, they can be lovely outdoor plants in the appropriate location, particularly with protection from our harshest heat and intense afternoon sun, but most can thrive indoors in the Texas Winters and Summers with adequate light.

Wax Begonia is one of those plants that gives you a lot of beauty for relatively little fuss. Its glossy green or bronze foliage and cheerful pink, flowers provide long-lasting color, and the plants naturally drop spent blooms, so they don't require much deadheading. They also work beautifully in containers, borders, and shady garden spaces.

While it isn't native to Central Texas and therefore doesn't provide the same specialized habitat value as native plants, its flowers can provide food for visiting pollinating insects. We especially like it as an ornamental companion to a landscape that includes plenty of Texas-native plants—the natives provide the deeper ecological foundation, while plants like wax begonia add color and visual interest.