I haven't tried cuttings. But I had one I planted in a pot
one summer from a 6 pack of annuals. I brought it in and saved it all winter.
4 years later it still flowers and may not be as nice as
new, but is very nice to have all winter. Good luck.

Those look like annual wax begonias. They might winter over indoors. Found this on Google:

www.gflora.com
www.exoticangel.com

"...stick a cutting in water and in a short time, it will start rooting. The seeds are like dust, so you should shake spent flowers gently over a white napkin. Seeds must be planted 4-6 months before last frost and the seedlings take a long time to develop. Here is a link you may find useful. http://www.yardener.com/PlantingWaxBegonia.html";

"Wax begonias are tender perennials (we are treating them as annuals) and will not survive frost. Do not move seedlings to the garden until night temperatures remain above 50°F."

"Begonias do best in light shade but will tolerate deep shade, although they may become leggy and will not bloom as vigorously. They will also grow in full sun if the soil is kept moist."

I always just buy a six-pack in May to use in my containers. They bloom non-stop right up til frost but the first frost always does them in.

looks like I'll just buy them and not waste any time. How far do you plant each seedling? I read they are vigorous growers. They spread via rhizomes.

Thanks for the links. I'll read up on it.

How far apart depends one which variety you have. There are three basic types. Some begonias spread by rhizomes, some have fibrous roots, and some grow from tubers. The fibrous and tuberous types may sprawl, but they will *not* spread. All three types come in a range of sizes. Some can handle sun, some can't. If you ask over at the begonia forum they can help you pick out a variety that will do what you need it to and grow where you need it to grow.

I recommend you start with the FAQ on the begonia forum.

Begonias are slow from seed. I haven't done it yet because in my climate, that means starting the seed indoors under lights in early January, and keeping the seedlings warm and well-lit indoors until the end of May when it's safe to plant out.

Link below is one possible source, if you decide to go the seed route.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vesey's fibrous begonias

I LOVE begonias and always treat myself to a few each year if I'm able to pry my wallet open wide enough. They're not too high-priced (unlike Martha Washington geraniums) and bloom from late April/mid May right up until the first frost. They may not be the best WS candidates but I want them in my containers every year. They really are blooming machines. Let the pros grow them and I'll WS the perennials and showy annuals that adapt to the WS method.

What I really want to buy next year is the same plant I posted above. I have seen it grow. It gets afternoon sun too. I don't see any disease. I don't see any wilting at all. If that's wax begonia, then that's what I will buy next year. :D

I'll investigate how far the stems are, hehehe. :D I'm not sure what people walking by are going think about me.

Go for it. If anyone looks at you funny, just smile & say you're helping your [niece/nephew--insert likely relative] with a science project. Or say you dropped your cellphone/car keys into the row of flowers.

Height-wise these types of begonia stay quite small. I don't think they grow much more than 6" tall. They're sort of like impatiens--they really spread out & fill-in the area around them over the course of the season. Most garden centers have the ones in your picture every spring as well as a bronze-colored leaf variety.