Please note: Several events have been cancelled due to heavy rains in the region. Click here for more details.

Masthead Image

BEGONIAS

Begonias have been synonymous with Ballarat since the late 1800’s and to this day we still celebrate this magnificent genus each March with the Ballarat Begonia Festival.

Begonia flower forms vary significantly and therefore a typical Begonia flower can be difficult to describe. The fimbriata cultivars could appear to be giant carnations, but others resemble large camellias or roses. Their colours range from white, yellow, orange, pink and red, there is no blue. Whilst the most common single colour in our Begonia collection is pink, followed by orange, many cultivars such as the picotees have multiple colours on each petal.

Our collection in Ballarat is propagated by basal cuttings taken in November to December. These cuttings will produce a mini tuber at the end of its first growing season and will be of display size standard in its second season.

Of all the beautiful floral attributes Begonias exhibit, it’s often their scent that is most intriguing. Whilst most Begonias are non-scented, our collection contains just three scented varieties including upright varieties John Smith and Dawn Song and the cascade variety Yellow Sweetie. Their scent is anything but floral, often referred to as resembling tropical fruit juice or sweet citrus.

Can you find our scented Begonia within the Begonia Display in the Conservatory at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens?

Origins image

Origins

As early as the 1890’s the Ballarat Botanical Gardens has featured a collection of tuberous begonias. Tubers were…

Begonia Fun Facts image

Begonia Fun Facts

The Ballarat Botanical Gardens have been growing Begonias since the late 1890s. Begonias are grown by the Ballarat…

TUBEROUS COLLECTION image

TUBEROUS COLLECTION

Our Tuberous Collection consists of 207 varieties of upright Begonias and 38 of the cascade or weeping form,…

NON-TUBEROUS COLLECTION image

NON-TUBEROUS COLLECTION

Our non-tuberous collection consists of 290 cultivars and species, and a total of 700 pots. Unlike the cool-climate…

Growing Begonias image

Growing Begonias

The City of Ballarat horticultural team tend to our Begonias for 10 months of the year. Here is…

Growing Begonias at Home image

Growing Begonias at Home

When growing Begonias at home, they are best grown in a pot, outside in a protected position with…

town hall image

Subscribe for updates

Get our latest program and event updates to your inbox.

Contact Us

Phoenix Building
25 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat Central VIC 3350




Explore Ballarat
partner logo
partner logo

Copyright © 2022 Ballarat Begonia Festival