please help with an id query

Hi All
I bought some bulbs last spring - begonia and dahlia (see picture). I planted both in April/May in containers. One of them came up yellow, as pictured. I thought they were dahlia initially (going by the colour), but they look like the shape of begonia. There are 2 different shaped blooms on them so I'm not overly sure. Can anyone confirm is the flowering plant begonia and the bulbs pictured dahlia bulbs? Any ideas why they didn't grow? Perhaps I planted them too late or should they be ok in containers?
Thanks
Eileen

Click image to enlarge

Re: please help with an id query

Reply from Carol

Definitely begonia not dahlia. Dahlia tubers can be a bit temperamental. They rot easily if they are wet for a long time before they start to grow.
I read somewhere that begonia have two kinds of flowers - male and female? - so maybe that's what you've got. I think the begonia purists take off one kind and leave the other. Not one of my plants!

Re: Re: please help with an id query

Reply from Eileen mcalonan

Hi Carol
Thank you very much for your message and for the extra info re the flowers. Will try putting more drainage holes into the dahlia container and try again next year!
Cheers
Eileen

Re: please help with an id query

Reply from Ben's Botanics

The yellow flowers are definitely Begonias. The Dahlias didn't grow because the tuber was damaged. Those structures in your picture at the 'food stores' of the Dahlia tuber. They are linked together at the growing tip of the plant, the thinner fleshy bit.

Without the growth point of the tuber there is no gardener on earth that could get them to grow.

Next time you buy a packeted Dahlia make sure that there is one structure in the bag; think of the tuber as looking like an octopus and those storage bits are the tentacles... the whole lot should be joined up at the head. If you're not sure then steer well clear.

Re: Re: please help with an id query

Reply from Eileen mcalonan

Ah OK thank you for that. I was going to try again next year with them so looks like you have saved me a disappointment again!
Regards
Eileen