Winterhard Begonia’s

Most Begonia species are very tender and will not survive freezing temperatures even with protection, but some do have a robust underground root system that allows them to make it through the winter in climates where temperatures fall well below freezing.

Here are some winterhard Begonia’s that can survive in the Netherlands (zone 8). They will die back above ground during winters but they will grow back in spring. Help them through hard winters by mulching the soil.

Rhizomatous begonias grow and spread via horizontal stems called rhizomes, and some rhizomatous species are nearly as cold tolerant as hardy begonia. The Mount Emei Begonia (Begonia Emeiensis) and Taiwan Begonia (Begonia Chitoensis) are winter hardy in zones 7 to 10.

Most tuberous begonia species are hardy in zones 9 to 11 and will die during frost. The species commonly called hardy begonia (Begonia grandis), however, is able to survive winters in zones 6 to 10. Fall frosts and freezes will cause the above-ground portion of the plant to die back, but the plant will regrow in the spring from underground tubers that go dormant through the winter.