Begonia 'Little Brother Montgomery'

RHS Plant Profile

begonia 'Little Brother Montgomery'

Herbaceous Perennial

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A tall, bushy upright tender perennial with maple-shaped leaves which are pinkish when young and then change to silvery-green leaves with darker veins and edges as they mature. Small pink flowers are produced on the upright stems from January until December.

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Begoniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Columnar upright
Genus: Begonia can be annuals, evergreen or deciduous perennials or shrubs, with fibrous, tuberous or rhizomatous roots and usually asymmetrical leaves, often strikingly patterned, and small or large flowers, both male and female in the same cluster
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in deep, fertile, moist, humus-rich soil in full sun or partial shade. See Begonias: outdoors

Propagation

Propagate by seed in autumn or winter outdoors. Germination can take two or three years. Plants can also be propagated by division in autumn or early spring, just before the plant come back into growth

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back the foliage at the end of the season

Pests

May be susceptible to caterpillars, mealy bugs, mites, glasshouse thrips, vine weevil and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds, powdery mildews, stem rot and rhizome rot