Begonia semperflorens

8.9

A hybrid bedding plant with broad green to bronze-red leaves and small pink, white or red flowers

noun

Specialized

: Begonia semperflorens

The Begonia semperflorens thrives best in well-drained soil and partial shade.

Examples

Gardeners prize Begonia semperflorens for its continuous blooms throughout the summer.
She planted several Begonia semperflorens along the garden path for a splash of color.
The Begonia semperflorens is perfect for sunny gardens.
Have you seen the Begonia semperflorens in bloom?
Gardeners prize Begonia semperflorens for its continuous blooms throughout the summer.
She planted several Begonia semperflorens along the garden path for a splash of color.
The Begonia semperflorens thrives best in well-drained soil and partial shade.

Synonyms

wax begonia

vsBegonia semperflorens

5.6

A small garden plant with shiny leaves and groups of red, pink or white flowers

gives a more specific botanical description including fibrous roots and leaf colour

Surface Forms

Begonia semperflorens singular

Begonia semperflorenses plural

Morphology

Begonia + semperflorens

Begonia semperflorens is a scientific Latin binomial; the second element 'semperflorens' is not an English word and is absent from the learner dictionary entry, so a B1 learner who only knows the given constituents would not be able to derive the specific horticultural meaning. Although the Latin roots (semper = always, florens = flowering) would make the compound interpretable to someone with knowledge of Latin or botanical terminology, that knowledge is not expected at B1, making the expression effectively non-compositional for such learners.

Etymology

Begonia semperflorens comes from the family name Begonia, after a French gardener called Bégon, and the word semperflorens, which means 'always flowering'. That's why gardeners call this plant a begonia that keeps blooming for a long time.