Begonia heracleifolia 'Nigricans'

This wonderful begonia was first discovered in Mexico in the 1830s, with the specific epithet referring to the leaves resembling the genus heracleum. Each 2' tall x 4' wide tightly rhizomatous clump is composed of 15" wide x 1' long maple-shaped leaves of medium green surrounded by a contrasting wide black-green border and held at the end of red-speckled leaf petioles. The common variety name "nigricans" should be used instead as a cultivar, since this represents a single clone and not a distinct natural variety. So far this has proved reliably hardy to 15 degrees F...a stunning garden specimen!