Plant in part to full shade in a well-drained and rich amended soil and irrigate regularly to occasionally but allowing soil to dry between watering. This cultivar has proven to be hardy to at least 30 °F. It is a nice plant for a large container or in a protected spot in a frost-free garden.

Begonia 'Yanonali' is classified as a thick stemmed rhizomatous begonia and is a hybrid created by Santa Barbara's phenomenal plantsman Rudy Ziesenhenne by crossing Begonia mazae with Begonia carrieae. Ziesenhenne named his plants after local Santa Barbara people such as his cultivars Begonia 'Freddie' that he named after his son and Begonia 'Ramirez' that he named for a Santa Barbara gardener. Like Begonia 'Yanonali' he also named plants for locations in or near Santa Barbara, such as his Begonia 'Lotusland' and Begonia 'Cachuma', but it is not clear whether this plant was named for Yanonali Street, a street that runs east-west a few blocks back from the ocean or whether it was named for this streets namesake, the Chumash chief Yanonali who was the leader of the large Chumash village where the Spanish built the Santa Barbara Presidio.

Our thanks go out to Mike Flaherty, who long had the wonderful Gazebo Plants and Flowers nursery in Montecito, who knew of our interest in the Ziesenhenne begonias and gave us our start of this plant. 

This information about Begonia 'Yanonali' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.