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Begonia 'Paul Hernandez' (Paul Hernandez Shrub Begonia) - One of the largest of the shrub begonias, growing moderately fast to 4-6 ft tall and wide (reported even to 8 feet in optimum conditions) with large 2 foot wide palmately-lobed leaves that are a shiny dark olive green with an attractive pustulated texture and red veins on the upper surface and a bright brick red color below. The petioles and lower leaf surface are sparsely covered with coarse reddish hairs. A bit shy to bloom in some climates, it produces large clusters of upright small white flowers with prominent yellow stamens in late winter and spring here in Santa Barbara.
Plant in morning sun to shade (red coloration best enhanced by brighter light) and irrigate regularly to occasionally but avoid overwatering. Hardy to short duration temperatures down to around 25° F. This is a great plant for adding a tropical look to the landscape though care should be taken to place in a location sheltered from the wind that can tatter its beautiful foliage.
Begonia 'Paul Hernandez' was hybridized by Patrick Worley in 1981 by crossing the tall cane species Begonia luxurians with Begonia gehrtii, a rhizomatous species with crinkled leaves and named for a family friend of Patrick's. It was introduced into the nursery trade in 1985 and has been a popular garden plant in California ever since. We received our first plant of this great plant from the late Mark Bartholomew of Hi Mark Nursery in 1999 and have grown it in the nursery since 2008.
This information about Begonia 'Paul Hernandez' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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