Begonias: Cultivation, Identification, And Natural History

By Mark C. Tebbitt

Begonias have enormous horticultural appeal, are widely cultivated in the home, and increasing in variety, including hardy species for the garden and semi-hardy species for containers. It is no wonder these intriguing plants have gained such a following. Concise descriptions, keys, and elegant illustrations of more than 300 commonly grown species and their most popular cultivars, are included. Additional chapters cover their cultural history, cultivation, natural history, and distribution.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0881927333
• ISBN13: 9780881927337
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Timber Pr
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Begonia Lovers Guide!

Anything and everything you wanted to know about Begonias. Very thorough, good pictures and an excellent reference book!

Excellent look at the Begonia family

I found this text to be very useful. The scientific classifications, including leaf shape, texture, stem placment and flower formation were introduced in an approachable and engaging manner. The section on pests and diseases that are problems for begonias was very useful. Learning the origin and natural habitat of various begonias really helps with their successful cultivation. I did not find the more scientific aspects offputting at all. The text is written in a way that I found very appealing, and the large number of color photographs make it visually rich. This is a very thorough and appealing look at the amazingly diverse begonia family. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to become more familiar with this fascinating plant family. For those of us with an acknowledged interest (ie, member of the American Begonia Society here) this book is a real treasure.

Text Reference on Begonias

I would give this book top rating if I had had a scientific interest in the history of begonias. I bought it thinking it would have a lot of practical cultivation and propogation tips and it disappointed me in that respect. It's a very thoroughly written and documented botanist's book - not really targeting the home gardener.