Sometimes a plant is not what it seems. A “rose of Sharon” is not a rose at all, but a member of the mallow or hollyhock family. Neither “peace lilies” nor daylilies are members of the lily or Liliaceae genus. Instead they belong to the arum and hemerocallis genera respectively.
This is why I have confidence that I can grow a strawberry begonia successfully in defiance of my past lack of success with fancy-leaf begonias, angel wing begonias and Rex begonias. All are true members of the Begoniaceae family. Strawberry begonia, on the other hand, is not a true begonia. It is not a true strawberry either, but a member of the Saxifragaceae plant family, which is also home to garden favorites like astilbe, bergenia, sedum and heuchera.
In point of fact, my new strawberry begonia plant looks more like a geranium than anything else. Others have noticed this as well. One of the plant’s common names is “strawberry geranium”.
I have grown a good many saxifrages in my time, and many are still alive and prospering. This gives me hope for the future of the strawberry begonia plant that I bought while on vacation last week.
My new specimen is small, currently bursting out of a four-in pot, and awaiting transplantation to a larger container. The leaves are rounded and scalloped in geranium fashion. Those leaves are medium green and, since my plant is the variegated type, they are edged with a thin cream-colored band that bears touches of pink. At maturity it will grow between six and 18 inches tall, with a spread of 12 to 24 inches. The plant tag describes it as a house plant, but two different reputable sources say that it can be grown outdoors in USDA plant hardiness zones six through nine, which means that it can withstand cold winters.
The species has acquired a host of common names since making its way west from its native China, Japan and South Korea. In addition to “strawberry begonia,” “strawberry geranium,” ”creeping saxifrage,” and “strawberry saxifrage,” it goes by the intriguing moniker “mother of thousands”. This is due to the fact that happy plants multiply readily by means of runners, much like strawberries.
The leaves of my variegated strawberry begonia are attractive all by themselves, but the plant also produces white, multi-petaled flowers that rise above the foliage in loose panicles or flower clusters.
Like its relatives, astilbes and heuchera, strawberry begonia likes a shaded location outside and rich, well-drained soil. If you have places in your garden where heuchera thrives, try planting a strawberry begonia. Its short stature, vigorous reproductive habits and overall toughness make it a good groundcover. Whether you grow it outside or indoors, as a houseplant, it is easy to root the little plantlets that spring from the mother specimen.
The most common strawberry begonias feature green leaves, without the variegated edging present on my new plant. Another cultivar, ‘Maroon Beauty’ has the same geranium-like leaf configuration, but the undersides of the leaves are red, as are the long runners that give rise to new plantlets. ‘Maroon Beauty’ is slightly less hardy than the species, but will thrive in cold winter climates to USDA plant hardiness zone seven Another variety, “Tricolor’ looks a good deal like my variegated strawberry begonia, but with distinctly pink leaf edges. Its hardiness range is similar to that of ‘Maroon Beauty’.
If you invest in a strawberry begonia and plan to grow it outdoors, you can give yourself a bit of insurance by potting up some of the plantlets in late summer, bringing them into the house and growing them indoors over the winter. If the parent plant survives, all is well and good. You can give the offspring to friends or add them to the outdoor planting. If not, you will know to treat strawberry begonia as an annual, or overwinter the plant indoors.
Good local garden centers and nurseries sometimes carry strawberry begonia among the house plants. Logee’s offers the variegated type, but it is currently out of stock. Sometimes they will add names to a list of interested plant lovers and notify you when the plant is restocked. Find them at 141 North Street, Danielson, CT 06239; (860) 774-8038; www.logees.com. ‘Maroon Beauty’ is available from Digging Dog Nursery, 31101 Middle Ridge Road, Albion, CA 95410; (707) 937-1130; www.diggingdog.com. ‘Tricolor’ is harder to find, but may be available from vendors on Etsy.