B. ‘incarnata Sandersii’

B. incarnata, var. sandersi is a much handsomer plant [than B. incarnata], tall and shrubby, with leaves six inches long and rose-pink flowers nearly two inches across. This variety was produced thirty years ago by Charles Sanders, gardener to Professor Sargent, first Director of the Arnold Arboretum. No attempt was made to market it and it remained in the hands of a few private gardeners who grew it for cut flowers, because it was a free bloomer.

One of the gardeners told me he thought it was produced by "old Charlie Sanders," but could not tell me whether he was still living. After many inquiries I found him at the ripe old age of ninety-one, still engaged in his lifelong occupation of gardening. A little old man, with bushy white beard, like a benevolent Santa Claus, he sat transplanting seedlings of a new everbearing strawberry. In his garden he showed me proudly choice rhododendrons he had grown from seed collected in the garden of the Grand Lama in Lhassa, Thibet and eremurus from Persian seed. Every plant he knew and loved but wondered, sadly, what would become of them when he was gone, for his family considered them just so much "trash."

When he was shown the photograph of the begonia which now bears his name (unofficially) he hesitated no longer than a man half his age. "Begonia incarnata," he said, "Oh, yes, I worked on that more than thirty years ago. I noticed one plant in a batch of incarnata seedlings that had somewhat larger flowers than usual. I grew that plant to perfection and planted seeds from it. Again, I chose the best plant in that generation for seeds and, so continued until I was satisfied with leaf, flower and blooming qualities. I haven't seen it for years. I did not keep it, but gave it to the boys that wanted to grow it for mid-Winter cut flowers." Stock is still scarce.

• Classification: Cultivar
• Plant Type: Shrub-like
• Originator: Charles Sanders
• Date of Origin: 1901