Our Flower

As do many states and cities, Bainbridge Township has an official flower, the tuberous begonia. The begonia is a small plant, growing only 6-12 inches tall, but it commands quite a bit of attention with its vivid flowers that bloom from mid-summer to mid-fall. The flower was originally introduced to Bainbridge Township from late resident Carlton Lowe, who would later share it with the rest of the country.

Carlton Lowe was a soldier in World War I, where he saw the beautiful flower growing in a field in Belgium. The owner of the field agreed to send Mr. Lowe some seeds. It took several years for Mr. Lowe to perfect the cultivation of the sensitive and fragile tuberous begonia seeds. Before long, however, he was shipping plants across the United States. Now they are a common household plant. A greenhouse in the township still bears his name.

Diseases that can cause problems are powdery mildew, bacterial blight, botrytis, and foliar nematodes. Culturally good plant spacing, removal of dead flowers and leaves, and adequate air movement should suppress disease problems. Bulbs can be saved from year to year. Remove stems after frost has killed tops. Let tubers dry for one week then store cleaned tubers in peat moss or sawdust at 50 degrees F. Do not allow tubers to freeze.