mulberryshoots

This is a lovely plant that I discovered at a farmstand in Concord, MA. this afternoon when my daughter, C. and I met for coffee and catching up.

At first glance, I thought it was a hanging fuschia plant because of the trumpet shaped flowers. When I read the plastic plant tag, it said it was a begonia, “million kisses” and I noticed that the dark underside of the green leaves and the slightly fuzzy jagged edges were indeed typical begonia leaves.

After I noticed the flowering cyclamen vine delicately making its way east and west underneath the second floor bay window the other day, I’ve found myself appreciating the flowering plants surrounding our home, both inside and outside: peonies, Japanese and otherwise, deep purple slender Siberian iris, false blue indigo, white wisteria, coral bells, a huge fringe tree with white tendrils. Inside out on our 3rd floor deck, the size of a postage stamp are a pot of kitchen herbs, three-year old poinsettia plants whose branches are getting thicker almost like bonsai trees; cyclamen of different hues, maroon oxalis with tiny pale pink flowers the size of someone’s pinky fingernails.

This begonia is in a class all its own, and I don’t even LIKE begonias per se! You know, those tuberous, big ruffled show-off flowers in ice cream sherbert colors that old people seem to favor. This is a trailing plant, a strain that produces pale, subtle watercolor hues. The shape of the flowers is ultra simple: no ruffles, doubles or flashy centers. Pale, simple trumpet shaped flowers surrounded by dark green and coppery brown edged leaves.

I just love it!