Tuberous begonias are grown from round, fleshy tubers. They have big, showy flowers in bright shades of pink, yellow, orange, red, and white, throughout summer and into autumn. They make excellent pot and hanging basket plants, as some of the trail. As they won’t survive in cold weather, the tubers are often planted as annuals each year, or dug up and stored indoors for the winter.

Fibrous-rooted begonias, as their name suggests, have a typical root ball of thin, fibrous roots. They include the dwarf bedding types, known as wax begonias (Begonia semperflorens), and tend to have smaller leaves and flowers. They can be grown in containers and window boxes or as bedding at the front of a shady border. They are usually treated as annuals and discarded at the end of the season.

Hardy begonias can be left in the ground in winter in sheltered, warm locations.

Foliage begonias are grown for their spectacular leaves, which come in a range of shapes, colors, and patterns. They include the cane types (with upright stems that have different segments, like a bamboo cane, also known as angel wing begonias thanks to their beautiful leaves). They are popular as house plants but are increasingly grown outside in summer, where they will bring a jungle, exotic look to a patio or shady border. The Rex begonia (Begonia rex) has the showiest leaves of all, while Begonia luxurians, the palm-leaf begonia, looks like a palm tree and can reach 3m tall.