Herself’s Houston Garden

There are over 1000 species of Begonia. This one had no id.

These grow only in tropical temperatures, preferring 60′-85′ but do quite well through Houston summers. It will not likely survive the winter outside. You can pot it up and bring it inside or cut off a leaf, put the stem in a small pot of dirt and start a new plant to put outside next spring. Treat it just as you would an African Violet cutting that you are rooting.

This one thrived through the fall and held its own despite a slight frost and a few nights into the 30s and 40sright through December. In January it gave up.

Begonias are very prone to bacteria and fungal infections. Unless it is a prize plant the best option is to get rid of the plant. You might find a leaf that is not infected and begin a new plant that way, but the best choice is to get rid of the plant.

An interesting fact about begonias is that they always have asymmetrical leaves.  Take a closer look next time you see one.

Despite all this begonias remain a very popular summer annual in Houston.

Begonias are named after their discoverer, Michel Begon. Most of our begonias began as natives in South America, in the mountains. The tuberous begonias, most often used in gardens, are favorites of North Korea’s fearless leader and great tracts of land are given over to growing them there.

Begonias first reached Europe in the mid-1800s and quickly became popular there as they still are today.

Things to watch for:

-grey mold: first appears as brown spots on leaves, and progresses to a mold like texture during cool, wet weather.  This is a fungus, treat with fungicide.

- powdery mildew:  White, powdery substance appears on leaves.  Use a fungicide.

-leaf spot: brown leaf spots appear on leaves, leaves may yellow.  Occurs during warm, humid weather.  This is a fungus, treat with a fungicide.

-bacterial leaf spot: blisters appear on leaves, may have a slimy substance in blisters.  Remove diseased parts of plant and treat with a copper based disinfectant

- root rot: - repot and quit watering so much.

- mealy bugs: wash them off or treat with orange oil.

More information:
Brad’s Begonia World
American Begonia Society

As gardeners we all lust after the plants growing just one or two zones south of us. It matters not if we are in Canada or Mexico we want the plants on the other side of the fence. If this study is correct and holds true for the Tropic of Cancer, then the edge of the tropical zone is moving from Havana, Cuba north to somewhere between Brownsville and Corpus Christi.

Geographically, the tropical region is a wide swath around Earth’s middle stretching from the Tropic of Cancer, just south of Miami, to the Tropic of Capricorn, which cuts Australia almost in half. It’s about one-quarter of the globe and generally thought of as hot, steamy and damp, but it also has areas of brutal desert.To meteorologists, however, the tropics region is defined by long-term climate and what’s happening in the atmosphere. Recent studies show changes that indicate an expansion of the tropical atmosphere.

The newest study, published Sunday in the new scientific journal Nature Geoscience, shows that by using the weather definition, the tropics are expanding toward Earth’s poles more than predicted. And that means more dry weather is moving to the edges of the tropics in places like the U.S. Southwest. [ read more Earth's Tropics Belt Expands]

So it may be good news or bad news depending on what you like to plant. It is likely the Houston area will get a bit warmer. It is too soon to tell if we will get more, less or the same rainfall as things shift and change.

More information:
Lessons from an interglacial past
The big chill

* Note: This does not mean we should not reduce our CO2 emissions. Of course we should clean the planet up and keep it clean. That’s just common sense.

I purchased this in the novelty plant section of Walmart near Halloween.

Crassula gollum will reach about a foot and a half in height and about two feet in diameter. It is hardy to zone 8b so it should winter over just fine down here. Like most succulents it’ll take all the sun you can give it. And it wants very little water.

If a leaf falls off, leave it be and the leaf will often root where it falls. It is a very slow grower so it is excellent in rock gardens or as a bonsai plant. When it receives lots of sun, as it does in the summer months, tips of leaves will get red same as a traditional jade plant.

As it ages it will develop thick grayish stems similar to jade and these leaves will be seen only on the ends of the stems. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘jade tree’.

It is supposed to be an extremely easy to care for slow growing plant. I stuck in the ground in my south-west bed in mid Oct and have done nothing to it since.