BOUGAINVILLEA SPP

Botanical Name: Bougainvillea spp.

Common Names: Bougainvillea, Paperflower
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained soils; tolerates sandy, loamy, and slightly rocky substrates
Water Needs: Moderate to low; prefers deep, infrequent watering once established
Foliage: Green, ovate leaves with a slightly leathery texture
Flowers: Showy, colorful bracts in shades of magenta, purple, red, orange, pink, or white surrounding small tubular white flowers; blooms profusely in warm seasons
Growth Rate: Fast, vigorous climber

Uses:

Ornamental Plant:
Bougainvillea is prized for its vibrant bracts and climbing habit, adding striking color to fences, pergolas, walls, and garden trellises.

Living Screens and Hedges:
When pruned and trained, it serves as a flowering hedge or privacy screen with spectacular seasonal displays.

Container Planting:
Suitable for large pots and decorative planters, especially in patios, terraces, and urban gardens.

Benefits:

Abundant Color Displays: Provides continuous bursts of vivid color through much of the year in warm climates.

Drought Tolerance: Once established, it thrives with minimal watering, making it ideal for Mediterranean and tropical gardens.

Low Maintenance: Hardy and resilient, requiring little beyond pruning and occasional fertilization.

Versatile Growth: Can be trained as a climber, shrub, tree form, or groundcover, adapting to many landscape designs.

Wildlife Attraction: Flowers attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Bougainvillea spp. is a vibrant, fast-growing ornamental that brings dramatic color and tropical flair to any garden or landscape. Its adaptability, hardiness, and long blooming season make it a timeless choice for sustainable and decorative planting.