You asked about begonias with large leaves and I took a photo of my hybrid Begonia 'Pagoda' this morning because it was looking so nice after weeks and weeks of heat and no rain, This is a Superba Cane-Like. These differ a great deal from the typical canes known as 'Angel Wings.' They are the most heart resistant of all because of the species they originate from. This one will get up to 7 feet tall, but will not be very attractive at that height because many Superbas tend to lose lower leaves as they put on height. Also the color of the leaves will fade so I like it best kept at 2 or 3 feet in height. The leaves are the largest of any cane I think and would be useful for the purpose you have. One thing I also should have mentioned is that the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden Species Bank which has the largest collection of begonias in the U.S. and perhaps the world will send you cuttings of anything they have available on request as part of their mission is keeping the plants going. I also give the first reproduction of my hybrids to them, so most including 'Pagoda' are available there. They will not charge for this, but a contribution to cover postage and for the collection is always appreciation - there is only one staff member with a part time assistant and most of the work is done by volunteers. There will be a meeting of the Southwest Region there sometime next May featuring a visit to the collection (It is only available for scheduled visits).
