Jim: Begonia sutherlandii is not winter hardy here...we have lost established plants at 15F, so I'd say Zone 8b. We have also not had any luck with Begonia 'Bonfire', although certain clones of the parent B. boliviensis are fine here. I can only assume the other parent used in the Bonfire hybrids was less winter hardy. Jim McKenney wrote: > Are any of you who garden on the East Coast growing Begonia sutherlandii as > a garden plant? > > > > The greater Washington, D.C. area must be on the borderline of the areas > where it is possible to grow this plant as a garden perennial. I’ve failed > to site it successfully several times, yet I hear reports from gardeners a > bit east of here that it survives from year to year in their gardens. This > is a short species, as I know it under a foot tall, which produces loads of > bright orange flowers in late summer. > > > > I have been able to bring plants through our winters by planting them > against the house wall. But such plants then sprout in the spring in the > rain shadow of the eaves, and unless I move them into moister positions, > they do nothing. > > > > This species produces little stem corms at the bases of the petioles > somewhat in the fashion of Begonia grandis, although the corms of Begonia > sutherlandii are much smaller. A friend who has grown this species for many > years as a house plant which goes outside during the summer now has a nice > pot full of stems with plenty of little corms in evidence. I’m going to try > again. > > > > Jim McKenney > > jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com > > Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone > 7 > > My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ > > BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ > > > > Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS > > Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ > > > > Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > -- Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdelights.com/ phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent