Trailing begonia Splendide Ballerina - Begonia × tuberhybrida

Begonia Splendide Ballerina is a trailing variety, sought after for its large, fully double corollas in shades of orange and apricot. It stands out in hanging baskets, tall planters, and on low walls. Its warm, soft, and luminous colour palette enlivens slightly shaded terraces and balconies from late spring until the first frosts.

This plant belongs to the Begoniaceae family. The 'Ballerina' cultivar is classified in the tuberous begonia group (Begonia × tuberhybrida), derived from several Andean species such as B. boliviensis, B. veitchii, or B. pearcei. Splendide is the name of a series of trailing cultivars with large double flowers (Splendide 'Apricot', 'Alifra', ‘Ice Maiden’), of which ‘Ballerina’ is the orange-toned version.
This begonia grows from a flattened tuber and develops fleshy, brittle stems each spring, adorned with asymmetrical, strongly veined leaves with finely toothed edges. The plant reaches 30 to 35 cm in height, and its foliage spreads 45 to 60 cm wide. The flowers of this variety are double to very double, measuring 12 to 15 cm in diameter. Each flower features numerous silky, overlapping tepals. They display a gradient dominated by apricot and soft orange, mingled with hints of lemon yellow to creamy yellow. The apricot–orange–yellow theme is constant in this cultivar, with combinations ranging from peach/apricot and soft lemon to orange-apricot and cream. The inflorescences, borne in pendulous clusters, are renewed from July to September-October if faded flowers are regularly removed. The deciduous foliage yellows and then disappears at the end of the season as the tuber enters dormancy.
The tubers are frost-tender and should be stored dry and frost-free, ideally between 5 and 10 °C.

Plant Begonia Splendide 'Ballerina' in a hanging basket or a wide container, sheltered from wind and in partial shade. You can pair it with other trailing begonias in complementary colours such as Golden Balcony, or combine it with foliage plants like a variegated ground ivy Dappled Light or a Sweet Potato Vine Sweet Caroline Purple.

The genus name Begonia is linked to Michel Bégon (1638-1710), intendant of Saint-Domingue and patron of the botanist Plumier. The rise of tuberous begonias in Europe dates to the 19th century, incorporating genes from Andean species introduced by the Veitch and Lemoine nurseries; these cultivars popularised balcony begonias throughout the Northern Hemisphere.