Casually Chic Strawberry Begonia

Once the first cooler nights arrive, it seems to be the right time for soft flannel shirts and well-worn jeans. And for plants, a cozy burlap wrap is sometimes in order… or at least on the horizon, as temperatures drop further. 

I hold tight to the fact that summer is still here, and it is not that time yet. But the pleasantly cool nights are causing me to think ahead to autumn decorating, if nothing else. It is too soon for wrapping shrubs to protect them from the elements. But wrapping houseplant containers for decoration is acceptable and timely. Strawberry Begonia in an attractive burlap wrap? Yes, it’s time for that.

I have written about Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) before. (Here, you can check out details shared earlier.) As I wrote in the past, Saxifraga stolonifera is a plant which, I believe, suffers from mistaken identity. The common name “Strawberry Begonia” sends gardeners off in two erroneous directions, down the Strawberry path or the Begonia path. Neither of these will lead to this plant. Hence, Strawberry Begonia might fly under the radar of many who would love to settle it in as a houseplant or use it in some Zones as mat-forming groundcover. But once you find Saxifraga stolonifera, become familiar with its growing habit and coloration, and see the runners it sends out to share beautiful baby plants, you will know this plant and how special it is.

I have seen very large Strawberry Begonia plants. The rounded, scalloped leaves of the plants rest upon one another to create nice, mounded forms. But I have not yet grown my plants to that extreme size. My Saxifraga stolonifera plants are much smaller… “small”, in fact. But do I love them? Absolutely.

Where do I grow Saxifraga stolonifera? In my Zone, growing Strawberry Begonia plants indoors is prudent. So then comes the question of how to decorate their plant pots. Decorative enough on their own, Saxifraga stolonifera plants need little adornment. But in the spirit of the season to come—the season of soft flannel shirts, well-worn jeans, and the like—I have decided to wrap my Saxifraga stolonifera containers in gardener’s burlap.

A burlap wrap can become “casual-chic” attire in the plant world. And although I am wrapping my Saxifraga stolonifera to match my soon-to-be-autumn décor, a burlap wrap is timeless: Picture it tied in red and green, silver and gold, spring green, or summer yellow. This plant wrap is good for all seasons.

I cut a generously sized square of burlap. I take its corners and pull them toward the center of the square, where they will meet at the same point. This creates a smaller square, but now the raw edges are no longer the sides of the square; instead, folded edges become the sides. I wrap my Strawberry Begonia container in a plastic bag so that any water that might drain out of its base will not saturate the burlap.  (This set-up will cause me to water with greater care and in smaller doses, for I do not want the plant to sit in water.) I place the plastic-covered container in the center of the square, holding down those pieces that meet at the center-point. I then gather up the cloth, securing it with an elastic that I have positioned about an inch down from the mouth of the container. As I do this, some of the fabric forms points where the corners of the square had been. The overall effect is nice. I cover my elastic with a strip of burlap that I have turned into a ribbon of sorts. And I am done.

Saxifraga stolonifera is sometimes called “Mother of Thousands” due to the profusion of runners and tiny plant-starts it sends out. I do my best to keep “her” looking good. Doing better in cooler temperatures, Strawberry Begonia will wear this wrap not for coziness but for looks alone. So keep your plant in a space where temperatures will not soar. And if you are like me and favor a Strawberry Begonia plant that shows off pretty tones of pale green and cream, with edging of pale pink, then make sure your plant is Saxifraga stolonifera, Variegated, the variegated Strawberry Begonia. 

Can I come to terms with the waning days of summer? With a simple project and a good looking plant display to show for it, I think I can.