That looks like it's going to explode, Alice! I can't wait to see it in a few months.
I've had Beefsteak Begonia rhizomes stay alive over winter in the ground here, in a dormant leafless state. Cane Begonias also usually survive by the roots but don't grow enough the next year to use them as herbaceous perennials here. The ground doesn't freeze here, but the interval from the first frost to the last is usually 3-4 months. The gardening line between zones 7 and 8 is the frozen ground line.
I started a discussion about herbaceous perennials in SE forum but there doesn't seem to be much interest in non-evergreen plants in FL & bordering states. I'm from OH, where almost all garden plants go dormant for winter, so it seems perfectly normal to me. I think it's the best of both worlds, frost eliminates worries about these things being invasive, but one can enjoy small versions of them during the warm part of the year.
https://garden.org/thread/go/9...
