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Begonia Canary Wings

Begonia (beh-GO-nee-ah)

Family: Begoniaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

'Canary Wings' is a cultivar of cane-like begonias in the Begoniaceae family. It has showy leaves that start out golden and mature to chartreuse. It blooms well with red flowers throughout the season. This plant will reach up to 18 inches with a similar spread and has a clumping, arching type growth pattern. Grow this plant in well-drained moist and amended soils in part shade. It will do best with some morning or evening sun. Does best with evenly moist soil but not wet soils. Use in borders, mass plantings, walkways, woodland areas and containers. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Whitefly, thrips, mites and mealybugs can be a problem. Powdery mildew, botrytis, and stem rot, especially in humid conditions with poor air circulation can be a problem. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Begonia – Cane Types .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 48 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 1 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Mounding
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Orbicular; Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
New leaves are golden and mature to chartreuse. Leaves are ovate to nearly round with toothed margins
Flower color
Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Loose clusters of cymes in leaf axils of single red flowers that bloom from spring to frost. Four-parted, with two small and two large petal-like parts and many stamens.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Winged capsule
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Brazil
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Small Space; Walkways; Woodland
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Shade Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#long bloom time #red flowers #partial shade tolerant #shade garden #showy leaves #mounding #showy flowers #patio #chartreuse #shade annual #border planting #landscape plant sleuths course #container plant #woodland #hortcontest
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Roots; Sap/Juice
Poison symptoms
If ingested, kidney failure for grazing animals. Salivation and drooling can occur in cats and dogs. The sap may cause skin irritation.
Toxic principle
calcium oxalate
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Roots; Sap/Juice; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.