All the Dirt on Gardening

Saxifraga stolonifera Strawberry Begonia flowers As shade perennials go, Strawberry Begonias are hard to beat in our area. Just plant a few and within a couple of years you'll have a lovely, easy-care ground cover for under a tree. The photo is in our back garden under an oak tree where six plants became a ground-cover 3 feet deep and 6 feet wide in two years. Saxifraga stolonifera, whose native range includes China, Japan and South Korea, is not a strawberry, nor is it a begonia. Sometimes it's called Strawberry Geranium, too. It's cold hardy only in zones 6 to 9 and thrives in full to part-shade. And, it is not bothered by insects or disease. The name Saxifrage comes from saxum (rock) and frangere (break) to illustrate the plant's ability to scramble over rocks. Stolonifera refers to the fact that the plant spreads by stolons, creating plantlets everywhere they trail. In colder zones than ours, they are grown as houseplants in hanging planters where the ...

A gardening friend brought some of his Strawberry Begonia plants to an event we had here for fellow gardeners. I was dubious. He has full time gardeners. We have two retired people who are doing and learning as fast as they can - us. No helpers to weed, water, fertilize, etc. So I planted them in two locations to see if they would survive. They all did. In both locations. Without any special care or winter protection. Their range in the US is limited to zones 6 to 9 but like Impatiens and other Begonias we plant outside for the summer, they can be dug and divided to be protected over the winter and put back outside for the summer. From Asia originally, they prefer moist spots, spread across the ground with runners and tiny plantlets. Those delicate red runners and tiny plantlets really show off to advantage in a hanging container. Overwatering and too much sun will make Strawberry Begonias suffer so be sure the spot or pot is well-drained and out of full sun. GardenDaze One...