Begonia

Hardy begonia (Begonia evansiana) by Regina Hughes. Courtesy of the Gallaudet University Archives.

Botanical illustration has been an art form for centuries. Precise, often colorful drawings are the cornerstones of our knowledge about plant life. Even in the twenty-first century, when macro lenses make amazing photographs possible, work like Regina Hughes’s is still essential as it can distill multiple properties, perspectives, and phases of a plant’s life into a single reference drawing.

Photo by Shane Dundas.

Growing at Gallaudet
Name: Wax begonia (Begonia cucullata)
Family: Begoniaceae (Begonias)
Native region: South America
Recorded: 1805
Growing tips: Tolerates both sun and shade. Flowers are produced all summer. Resprouts if cut, remove the whole plant rather than tilling. Can become invasive in some areas.