And as if all that weren't enough, 'Shanzi' is available from seed -- much less expensive than bulbs, and it will grow a nice tuber for you by the end of the first year anyway!

This plant offers large leaves of bright green with a burgundy reverse. As they mature, the leaves attain a silver sort of sheen, adding to their eye-catching beauty. They are held up and out on long stems on this very bushy, layered plant, so they look lush and full any time of year. Even if 'Shanzi never bloomed, it would be a sight worth seeing for the foliage!

But it DOES bloom -- from spring through summer and into fall, actually! The blooms open white with a pink edge, held in little clusters on dangling stems. Much smaller than the leaves, the flowers froth around the plant cheerfully and in great numbers. As they mature, the pink edges disappear, and the snowy blooms stand out brilliantly against the silvery-green backdrop.

'Shanzi' takes its name from a martial arts weapon known as the Iron Fan, and while we don't recommend this Begonia as a tool of self-defense, it is undoubtedly a fearless warrior in the plant world. While other Begonias melt in high heat, look damp and unhappy in humid spells, burn in full sun, and collapse in drought, 'Shanzi' puts up all with all these stresses without dropping a leaf. Reaching about 20 inches high and a bit wider, it is a very rugged, dependable performer in garden or container, and makes a splendid houseplant. In fact, it is even one of those rare plants you can give to a non-gardening friend and then actually see alive after the first season! So why not start a little army of 'Shanzi' warriors with a few packs of seed, and come Christmas this year, send them out to do battle in barren landscapes far and wide?! Pkt is 10 seeds.