begonia

noun be·go·nia \ bi-ˈgō-nyə \

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Definition of begonia

: any of a large genus (Begonia of the family Begoniaceae, the begonia family) of tropical or subtropical herbs and shrubs that have asymmetrical leaves and are widely cultivated as ornamentals

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Recent Examples of begonia from the Web

This method works particularly well with fleshy begonias like the Rexes.

— molly marquand, Good Housekeeping, "5 Of The Easiest Houseplants To Grow From Cuttings," 14 Dec. 2017
The Funky Pink begonia has the ability to be stand alone in a monoculture basket or container and look dazzling.

— norman winter, sacbee, "Soon, you’ll be playing that Funky Pink in your displays," 6 July 2018
Some that are more tolerant of shade, however, include wax begonias, Dragon Wing begonias and flowering tobacco.

— neil sperry, San Antonio Express-News, "At some point, mother of millions plant needs to start over," 1 June 2018
Many favorite garden flowers, such as impatiens and begonias, ornamental plants, such as elephant ears, and vegetables, such as peppers, beans, and tomatoes, come from tropical or semitropical places.

— beth botts, chicagotribune.com, "'Don’t be in a rush to plant everything': Chicago's volatile spring tricky for gardeners," 9 May 2018
Rhodendensons, azaleas, roses, annual plants, impatiens, geraniums, begonias in pots and hanging baskets will be for sale.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Hebron Edition," 8 May 2018
From the staghorn ferns hung in baskets to the begonia species fittingly named after gin, vodka and whiskey, plants are carefully chosen and nurtured by the employees of Churchill Downs' greenhouse.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Thousands of blooming flowers make Churchill Downs the world's 'most iconic race track'," 1 May 2018
Another group of plants that has been severely damaged or killed are tender perennial summer bedding plants, such as impatiens, wax begonias, pentas, blue daze, scaevola, periwinkle and coleus.

— NOLA.com, "Don't prune freeze-damaged plants just yet: 5 tips for recovering your garden," 6 Jan. 2018
Good fillers include salvias, verbenas, ornamental peppers, and wax begonias, as well as foliage plants like parsley or licorice plants.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need To Know About Container Gardening," 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'begonia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.