"New begonias that can "Beat the Heat"
Begonia semperflorens is the most widely cultivated type of begonia and the fourth most popular bedding plant in the United States, generating $36 million in sales (2009). However, in Gulf Coast states like Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, the onset of summer can overwhelm these popular flowering perennials with intense heat and humidity, cutting short the plant’s colorful presence in flowerbeds, hanging baskets, and containers.
Begonia lovers needn’t despair much longer, though.
The two new germplasm lines, labeled FB08-59 and FB08-163, were officially released in September 2014 as a source of genetic material for plant breeders to use in transferring that heat tolerance to commercial varieties now grown.
Click here to read the complete article at agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov
