In the tropics and subtropics of South America, where bougainvillea grows, the crop can climb to a height of many meters and entwine the walls of houses. Some varieties of this spectacular plant take the form of lushly flowering trees, covered with the thorns of powerful vines or modest shrubs.
In warm climates, the tops of the shoots are covered with flowers almost all year round. True, the corollas of real bougainvillea flowers can only be seen close up, and the multi-colored caps in which the foliage and stems are buried are modified leaves. Bracts vary in color, shape and size. There are two-color varieties, as well as plants in which the color of the bracts changes in intensity or tone over time.
Of the bougainvillea species existing in nature, the most popular among lovers of ornamental plants are beautiful bougainvillea and naked bougainvillea. In addition, there are a lot of interspecific hybrids, as well as cultural forms and varieties of the most amazing colors.
This type of plant is characterized by an incredible growth rate and often looks like a large vine, up to 15 meters high. Like all types of bougainvillea, the leaves of this variety have a heart-shaped, pointed shape. The back side is covered with a small pile, the autumn leaf plates are dense and durable. In the photo of bougainvillea, in addition to leaves and curved thorns, bright bracts are clearly visible. Bougainvillea flowers, opening from April to mid-autumn, are collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the branches. A group of two or three stipules surrounds 1 to 3 true flowers.
This type of bougainvillea, in the photo, is much smaller. Its maximum height is only five meters, which makes it possible to use the plant as an indoor crop. This is facilitated by the fact that the plant tolerates pruning almost painlessly and can be shaped at the owner’s request.
An example of this is the Bougainvillea Sanderiana shown in the photo, an old variety tested by gardeners around the world.
Unlike beautiful bougainvillea, this species has completely smooth leaves, and blooms in spring and early summer. The range of colors is incredibly wide, which is facilitated by active breeding work. It was bougainvillea glabra, cultivated back in 1861, that became the basis for obtaining a great variety of hybrid and varietal plants that today decorate gardens, parks and window sills.
Another variety is bougainvillea Alexandra, ideal for compact indoor compositions and creating original garden sculptures. True, in Russian conditions in open ground this beautiful vine takes root only in the southern regions, since it does not tolerate frosts below -8 °C.
This species is not so often found in ornamental plantings, but bougainvillea, discovered in 1810, became known for its hybrids with other varieties of the plant. Breeders were attracted by the crop's unusual ability to bloom several times a year after a natural or artificial drought.
In nature, plants of this species are extremely reluctant to branch, so bougainvillea, as in the photo, often forms spectacular cascading shoots.
Most modern varieties of bougainvillea are obtained from a hybrid accidentally noticed in the garden. Was the plant named bougainvillea after its owner? buttiana and is classified as a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Peruviana.
Varietal bougainvilleas differ strikingly from each other in size, shape and color of bracts.
The simplest, but very effective and popular among gardeners are varieties of bougainvillea with ordinary monochromatic bracts and rich green foliage.
One of the most common varieties, bougainvillea sanderiana pleases the eye with lush purple bracts, lends itself well to shaping and is quite unpretentious at home.
The bougainvillea variety Vera Deep Purple shown in the photo matches it. The plant stands out with dense crimson bracts that densely cover the ends of young shoots. No less impressive is the appearance of the flowers of bougainvillea varieties Glabra Donker and New Violet, which also reveal large violet-purple bracts.
Bougainvillea varieties Cypheri, Australian Pink and Donya are a godsend for the gardener who prefers plants with pink bracts. Moreover, in the latter case, flowering does not stop almost all year round.
The Crimson Lake, Black India Red and Tomato Red bougainvillea varieties shown in the photo are captivating with all shades of red, purple, crimson and burgundy.
The flowering looks unusually sunny against the background of green foliage. b Uganvillea Golden Tango with large yellow bracts and very small true flowers.
The group of bougainvilleas with simple white bracts is represented by the variety Jamaica White, which is distinguished by the abundance and duration of flowering, as well as Mrs Alice and Penelope.
The original variety of bougainvillea Lateritia cannot be ignored thanks to the bright salmon color of the bracts, shimmering in the sun with all shades of orange and pink.
Terry varieties are famous for their particularly dense caps at the ends of the shoots and exceptional decorativeness. Photos of bougainvillea from the Double varietal group, which includes plants with white, salmon, pale pink, purple, red and orange stipules, are always a reason for the admiration and envy of many gardeners.
The bougainvillea variety Double Lilarose has amazingly sensual shades of pink, salmon and lilac combined with a long flowering period and relative unpretentiousness. Also interesting is Boogervillea Double Pink, which differs from the first representative of the group in more delicate tones and a slightly greenish base of the stipules.
The luxurious caps of juicy crimson bracts on Double Red bougainvillea will be a discovery for beginning gardeners and will not leave connoisseurs of this tropical crop indifferent.
Double flowering is not the limit of the possibilities of a unique flower.
Today, lovers of indoor and garden floriculture have at their disposal varieties that fully reveal the ability of the bracts of this plant to change color over time.
The bracts of bougainvillea variety Bois De Roses are orange at first, but gradually change color, becoming deep pink. A similar picture is observed during flowering of the Thai Gold variety. This bougainvillea shown in the photo appears golden-orange in the first days, but as the bracts fade, they become completely blush-pink.
Similar metamorphoses occur with many plant varieties and hybrids. Initially white bracts take on pink tones, red-orange ones become crimson or purple. By skillfully combining specimens with such extraordinary properties, you can turn your garden into something constantly changing, but always beautiful.
Even more surprising are bougainvillea varieties on which two-color bracts appear simultaneously or on different branches their shades differ significantly.
Strawberry Lace is a plant with white and pink stipules that can only be compared to fresh strawberries and cream. On the stipules of bougainvillea Mary Palmer the shades are more delicate and blurred. On a basic white background, strokes of lilac and lavender look very beautiful.
A special place is occupied by varieties that, in addition to bright and sometimes multi-colored bracts, also have two shades combined on the foliage.
Most of these plants are the result of a spontaneous mutation, so offspring can only be obtained from them vegetatively using cuttings and layering.
Bougainvillea San Diego Red Variegata has red bracts that appear even more striking and provocative against the background of light golden-green foliage.
The salmon or golden bracts of Delta Dawn bougainvillea look like real gold against the bluish-green foliage with bright white edges.
In addition to golden or white spots on bougainvillea leaves, you can also see pink tones. An example of this is the beautiful Raspberry Ice variety with carmine bracts and decorative foliage, as if toasted along the edges.
The plant from Brazil is famous for its flexibility, originality, captivating with its variety of colors and vigorous flowering. The flowers are named after the French navigator Bougainville, who led the first expedition around the world. The flower was found on the rocky expanses of South America by the botanist Commerson, who was part of this expedition.
He not only discovered an amazing flower, but brought it to Europe and gave it a name. If you nevertheless decide that bougainvillea will live in your home, caring for it at home will give you pleasure, because this plant requires not only attention, but also a flight of imagination and a creative approach to its cultivation.
Bougainvillea belongs to the Noctiflower or Nyctaginaceae family.
The plant is a flowering shrub or tree with liana-like branches. Thanks to flexible shoots and thorns, it grabs onto support and stretches upward. 
The leaves are green or light green, sometimes variegated. The leaves have even, smooth edges. The leaves are pointed at the end. The egg-shaped leaves are small in size.
The flowers are white-yellow, inconspicuous, they quickly fall off. The bracts are unforgettably beautiful and come in different colors: purple. raspberry, pink, white, cream, red.
Among domestic plants there are also bicolor plants.
Their shape is also striking in its originality. It can be triangular, heart-shaped, round, arrow-shaped. If you touch the bracts, they look like the thinnest paper.
"Double Red" has a beautiful raspberry-fuchsia color that does not fade, but remains throughout the entire flowering period. Belongs to terry varieties.
Bougainvillea California Gold– golden bracts turn beige at the end of flowering. Sometimes, when developing at home, a plant confuses its dormant time: it blooms not in summer, but in winter.
Bougainvillea is a beautiful houseplant that sometimes grows to large sizes. It can rarely be found in apartments, because flower growers are afraid of complex care for it, but growing the plant is not so difficult. We will tell you about the features of caring for it.
Bougainvillea is a moisture-loving plant. It needs to be watered frequently and sprayed every day. To achieve abundant flowering, the plant needs to be fed with flowering fertilizers or complex fertilizer 2 times a week.
If you care for a flower incorrectly, problems may appear that spoil the appearance of the plant when it is grown.
Why does bougainvillea shed its leaves?
There are several reasons for a plant dropping leaves:
Excess moisture or lack of moisture destroys the plant. It reacts to improper watering in its own way: when it dries out, it sheds its leaves green; when water stagnates, they first turn yellow and then fall off along with the bracts. The plant seems to warn the grower about mistakes in caring for it.
Due to improper care, problems with flowering may occur. Let's find out the reasons why bougainvillea does not bloom.
Sometimes the reason for the lack of flowering remains undisclosed. You can encourage the plant to bloom. He needs to arrange a kind of diet.
Within 2-4 weeks, stop feeding and limit watering. Water the plant only when the top layer of soil dries out. As soon as you see flower buds at the ends of the young shoots, the bougainvillea is ready to bloom. It is necessary to resume fertilizing and watering.
In nature, bougainvillea resists harmful insects, but at home, spider mites, felt mites and aphids can appear on it. Every day you should inspect the leaves, flowers and get rid of pests. 
Use potent drugs “Akarin”, “Kleschevit”, “Aktara” against spider mites, and insecticides “Fufanon”, “Karbofos”, “Biotlin” will help against aphids and felt insects.
If the pests have just appeared or there are few of them, you can use folk remedies: a decoction of onion peels, potato tops, a strong garlic solution, laundry soap.
To get rid of mealybugs, you need to wipe the leaves and stems of the plant with a cotton swab dipped in an alcohol solution.
Every year, young plants need to be replanted because the roots grow and there is little room for development. An adult plant needs to be replanted after 2-3 years.
Each subsequent pot should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. It is not recommended to take a pot that is too spacious, because water will accumulate in it, which will negatively affect its vital processes. 
You need to take a deep pot. The plant loves heavy soil, so it is better to prepare a nutrient mixture of 2 parts leaf soil, 2 parts turf soil, 1 part humus, 1 part sand. Be sure to provide good drainage to successfully remove water from the pot.
Bougainvillea has flexible young shoots that can be shaped into any shape. A sphere, a pyramid, a wreath looks beautiful. The main thing is to place the supports correctly. Over time, young shoots become woody.
In summer, bougainvillea blooms very luxuriantly. You can achieve colorful blooms. To do this, it is not necessary to graft varieties, you just need to plant plants of different varieties and colors in a pot, and all summer you will be pleased with a crown of bracts of various shades. 
Young stems need to be supported and intertwined as needed to form the trunk of the tree. In the first stages of plant formation, there is no need to trim the stems.
Trim stems as they grow. In spring, pruning is necessary to create the shape of the bush and active flowering. Cut last year's stems in half to allow new lateral shoots to develop.
Watering must be carefully monitored to prevent waterlogging and drying out of the soil. In summer, water with warm water, and immediately pour out any water that has leaked from the pot into the pan.
The houseplant reproduces both in spring and summer, as well as in autumn. Experienced gardeners use semi-lignified cuttings left after pruning for planting.
Special cutting of the plant into cuttings is possible. Plant them in the soil, having previously treated them with phytohormones that stimulate root formation for rapid rooting of cuttings. 
The soil temperature must be at least +25 degrees, so bottom heating is used. Cover the pot with glass, spray regularly, ventilate and water moderately.
Bougainvillea also reproduces by air layering. To do this, select a flexible layer that has not yet become woody. Incisions are made on it. The cut is bent and secured with a pin to the ground.
When it gives rise to a root system, it can be transplanted into a separate pot.
In order for the cuttings to take root faster, place them in warm water for 3 hours, and then hold them in a stimulator or dip them in heteroauxin or Kornevine powder. The soil should be lighter than for an adult plant, replacing humus with peat.
Today we told you about the rules for caring for bougainvillea, the problems associated with growing the plant, and revealed the causes of these problems.
We advised you how to propagate bougainvillea and told you why the flower needs pruning.
If you are interested in a flower, you can go to the bougainvillea forum, where flower growers talk about their pets and the rules for caring for them.
You can ask experts for advice at any time. Knowledgeable people will give you a comprehensive answer to your question.
Now you know a plant like bougainvillea, caring for it at home will give you pleasure, you will be glad to see the results of your work and admire the southern beauty.
In the tropics and subtropics of South America, where bougainvillea grows, the crop can climb to a height of many meters and entwine the walls of houses. Some varieties of this spectacular plant take the form of lushly flowering trees, covered with the thorns of powerful vines or modest shrubs.
In warm climates, the tops of the shoots are covered with flowers almost all year round. True, the corollas of real bougainvillea flowers can only be seen close up, and the multi-colored caps in which the foliage and stems are buried are modified leaves. Bracts vary in color, shape and size. There are two-color varieties, as well as plants in which the color of the bracts changes in intensity or tone over time.
Of the bougainvillea species existing in nature, the most popular among lovers of ornamental plants are beautiful bougainvillea and naked bougainvillea. In addition, there are a lot of interspecific hybrids, as well as cultural forms and varieties of the most amazing colors.
This type of plant is characterized by an incredible growth rate and often looks like a large vine, up to 15 meters high. Like all types of bougainvillea, the leaves of this variety have a heart-shaped, pointed shape. The back side is covered with a small pile, the autumn leaf plates are dense and durable. In the photo of bougainvillea, in addition to leaves and curved thorns, bright bracts are clearly visible. Bougainvillea flowers, opening from April to mid-autumn, are collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the branches. A group of two or three stipules surrounds 1 to 3 true flowers.
This type of bougainvillea, in the photo, is much smaller. Its maximum height is only five meters, which makes it possible to use the plant as an indoor crop. This is facilitated by the fact that the plant tolerates pruning almost painlessly and can be shaped at the owner’s request.
An example of this is the Bougainvillea Sanderiana shown in the photo, an old variety tested by gardeners around the world.
Unlike beautiful bougainvillea, this species has completely smooth leaves, and blooms in spring and early summer. The range of colors is incredibly wide, which is facilitated by active breeding work. It was bougainvillea glabra, cultivated back in 1861, that became the basis for obtaining a great variety of hybrid and varietal plants that today decorate gardens, parks and window sills.
Another variety is bougainvillea Alexandra, ideal for compact indoor compositions and creating original garden sculptures. True, in Russian conditions in open ground this beautiful vine takes root only in the southern regions, since it does not tolerate frosts below -8 °C.
This species is not so often found in ornamental plantings, but bougainvillea, discovered in 1810, became known for its hybrids with other varieties of the plant. Breeders were attracted by the crop's unusual ability to bloom several times a year after a natural or artificial drought.
In nature, plants of this species are extremely reluctant to branch, so bougainvillea, as in the photo, often forms spectacular cascading shoots.
Most modern varieties of bougainvillea are obtained from a hybrid accidentally noticed in the garden. The plant was named after its owner Bougainvillea × buttiana and classified as a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Peruviana.
Varietal bougainvilleas differ strikingly from each other in size, shape and color of bracts.
The simplest, but very effective and popular among gardeners are varieties of bougainvillea with ordinary monochromatic bracts and rich green foliage.
One of the most common varieties, bougainvillea sanderiana pleases the eye with lush purple bracts, lends itself well to shaping and is quite unpretentious at home.
The bougainvillea variety Vera Deep Purple shown in the photo matches it. The plant stands out with dense crimson bracts that densely cover the ends of young shoots. No less impressive is the appearance of the flowers of bougainvillea varieties Glabra Donker and New Violet, which also reveal large violet-purple bracts.
Bougainvillea varieties Cypheri, Australian Pink and Donya are a godsend for the gardener who prefers plants with pink bracts. Moreover, in the latter case, flowering does not stop almost all year round.
The Crimson Lake, Black India Red and Tomato Red bougainvillea varieties shown in the photo are captivating with all shades of red, purple, crimson and burgundy.
The flowering looks unusually sunny against the background of green foliage. b Uganvillea Golden Tango with large yellow bracts and very small true flowers.
The group of bougainvilleas with simple white bracts is represented by the variety Jamaica White, which is distinguished by the abundance and duration of flowering, as well as Mrs Alice and Penelope.
The original variety of bougainvillea Lateritia cannot be ignored thanks to the bright salmon color of the bracts, shimmering in the sun with all shades of orange and pink.
Terry varieties are famous for their particularly dense caps at the ends of the shoots and exceptional decorativeness. Photos of bougainvillea from the Double varietal group, which includes plants with white, salmon, pale pink, purple, red and orange stipules, are always a reason for the admiration and envy of many gardeners.
The bougainvillea variety Double Lilarose has amazingly sensual shades of pink, salmon and lilac combined with a long flowering period and relative unpretentiousness. Also interesting is Boogervillea Double Pink, which differs from the first representative of the group in more delicate tones and a slightly greenish base of the stipules.
The luxurious caps of juicy crimson bracts on Double Red bougainvillea will be a discovery for beginning gardeners and will not leave connoisseurs of this tropical crop indifferent.
Double flowering is not the limit of the possibilities of a unique flower.
Today, lovers of indoor and garden floriculture have at their disposal varieties that fully reveal the ability of the bracts of this plant to change color over time.
The bracts of bougainvillea variety Bois De Roses are orange at first, but gradually change color, becoming deep pink. A similar picture is observed during flowering of the Thai Gold variety. This bougainvillea shown in the photo appears golden-orange in the first days, but as the bracts fade, they become completely blush-pink.
Similar metamorphoses occur with many plant varieties and hybrids. Initially white bracts take on pink tones, red-orange ones become crimson or purple. By skillfully combining specimens with such extraordinary properties, you can turn your garden into something constantly changing, but always beautiful.
Even more surprising are bougainvillea varieties on which two-color bracts appear simultaneously or on different branches their shades differ significantly.
Strawberry Lace is a plant with white and pink stipules that can only be compared to fresh strawberries and cream. On the stipules of bougainvillea Mary Palmer the shades are more delicate and blurred. On a basic white background, strokes of lilac and lavender look very beautiful.
A special place is occupied by varieties that, in addition to bright and sometimes multi-colored bracts, also have two shades combined on the foliage.
Most of these plants are the result of a spontaneous mutation, so offspring can only be obtained from them vegetatively using cuttings and layering.
Bougainvillea San Diego Red Variegata has red bracts that appear even more striking and provocative against the background of light golden-green foliage.
The salmon or golden bracts of Delta Dawn bougainvillea look like real gold against the bluish-green foliage with bright white edges.
In addition to golden or white spots on bougainvillea leaves, you can also see pink tones. An example of this is the beautiful Raspberry Ice variety with carmine bracts and decorative foliage, as if toasted along the edges.
Bougainvillea is a very unusual flower, from its name to its appearance; in Germany, many even call it a “miracle flower”. Bougainvillea is native to the Brazilian tropics, which is why it loves warmth, bright sun and high humidity so much.
The unusual shape of the flowers and their large number, lush brightly colored clusters attract all the attention; it happens that the foliage is completely invisible behind them. Because of its shape (triangular petals join at one center, as if forming a star), bougainvillea is also sometimes called a “triple flower”. Bougainvillea belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family. Bougainvillea can often be seen at resorts in hot countries: bright flowers perfectly decorate the territory of hotels and residential buildings, beautifully branching and entwining fences and walls.
The plant received this name because of its bare or almost bare stem without thorns, highly branched, reminiscent of a liana. The leaves of this bougainvillea measure approximately 10x4 cm, pointed, oval, short-petioled, alternate, entire. Bougainvillea glabra flowers range in size from 2 to 5 cm, most often collected in groups of two or three, but can also be single. Around the flower there is a bract of lilac, pink-red, white, orange, yellow color; over time, the bracts turn pale.
Another type of bougainvillea with a positive name. The main difference from bare bougainvillea is that the shoots have significantly more thorns. Wonderful bougainvillea grows on slopes covered with stones, open, its bracts have a red tint.
This variety was obtained by crossing bougainvillea glabra and Peruvian. The bracts of this plant have a delicate light pink or light orange tint.
Let's consider the basic rules for caring for a delicate flower - bougainvillea. In summer, bougainvillea needs bright light and sufficient ventilation; it is best if it grows in a summer garden and not on a regular windowsill. If the temperature is optimal and there is no rain or cold in the summer, then bougainvillea blooms brightly and profusely, delighting its owners and causing the envy of neighbors. In winter, the flower is usually removed to a cool place, one where the temperature does not consistently exceed 14 degrees. This is necessary for the plant to accumulate strength during the dormant period, starting to bloom with renewed vigor next season.
As for watering, it also differs depending on the time of year. In summer you should not spare water for the flower, and in winter you need to moderate watering a little, but, of course, do not wait until the soil is completely dry. Bougainvillea loves high humidity and spraying, and really does not like changing location. The best time to fertilize the plant is from March to October. If bougainvillea is not properly cared for, the following difficulties may arise: yellowing of the leaves due to too much watering, the appearance of pests (aphids, mealyworms, scale insects).
Bougainvillea is originally a tropical flower, so it is easy to guess that it requires high humidity and temperature. Recommended temperature for keeping bougainvillea: 22-30°C in summer. In winter, you should lower the temperature of the flower, the most comfortable temperature and ensuring abundant flowering in the future will be about 12-13 ° C.
To ensure maximum productivity, bougainvillea propagation is best done between May and July. At home, it is carried out by cuttings or using air layering (both must be green). How does the reproduction process itself take place?
Firstly , an adult plant is taken and bougainvillea cuttings are cut under the bud.
Secondly , these cuttings are treated with a preparation that accelerates root growth, and all leaves growing from below are torn off.
Third , the cuttings are planted in soil with a special composition. The soil should consist of sand and peat contained in equal quantities.
Fourth , the cutting is immersed in the soil up to the 2nd internode and the whole thing is placed under an ordinary glass jar.
Finally, fifthly , requires constant maintenance of a temperature of 25°C, ventilation and spraying of the plant. In about a month you can expect results - rooting of the plant.
Another propagation method is using air layering. The stem, which has not yet hardened, is pressed to the ground, after making a slight cut. Using wire, the layering is fixed in the soil until roots appear there. After this, you can disconnect the young plant from the main one.
An important factor in keeping bougainvillea at home is the soil and its composition. In order for a flower to look excellent, it needs soil of a certain composition, and you absolutely cannot treat this factor as some kind of trifle that does not deserve attention. So, what should the soil composition be? Florists need to remember at least three main points: drainage, density, low alkali content. This soil composition has proven itself to be optimal: 10 percent quartz sand, 20 percent peat, and the rest is turf and leaf soil.
As for replanting, young bougainvillea plants need it at least once a year. When the plant has already grown up, you can replant it less often - once every 3-5 years, because each replantation is, after all, stress for the plant. Flower growers should remember that during transplantation they should not greatly disturb the roots and the soil around them. As for the pot, the more cramped it is, the more abundant and luxuriant the flowering is, but if the pot is spacious, then the roots of the plant grow strongly.
If the plant lives in the southern regions, then it is usually kept in open ground, outdoors. Then, in addition to planting and replanting, it also needs pruning. This is done so that the plant branches better and more beautifully and is not “liquid”.
The most important thing at this point is to remember that bougainvillea, a fastidious native of the tropics, loves sunlight very much. So that she receives a sufficient amount of it, if you live in Russia, then you can place the flower on the windowsill of windows facing south, and in winter - in some dark place. Regular watering is very important; the soil should not be allowed to dry out. At the same time, excessive overflow should not be allowed: if there is water left in the plant’s tray, it should be drained and heavy watering should be slightly suspended. It's not difficult at all, but it's very easy to forget to do this simple step.
Another simple action that bougainvillea flowers love is spraying. Using a simple spray bottle from a flower supply store, spray the plant, because it dries out very much due to the heating system, and this can be disastrous for it. It should also be noted that bougainvillea needs feeding: when you go to a garden store, you need to purchase a complex of mineral fertilizers suitable specifically for bougainvillea. This complex should be used once a week, and only in the warm season.
The flower was named in honor of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a navigator and explorer of the Pacific Ocean who lived in the 18th century and made many geographical discoveries. Not only a flower bears his name, but also some marine geographical objects: a depression, a strait.
Bougainvillea really does not like change: the slightest change in environment can lead to the shedding of leaves and cessation of growth. But bougainvillea, which is under stable, careful care, thanks its owner with amazing beauty, blooming and growing profusely.
According to some beliefs, bougainvillea attracts money to the house and is a symbol of wealth, power, energy and prosperity. Some even advise putting a coin in a pot with a plant in order to enhance the beneficial effect.
In fact, what looks like flowers in bougainvillea is not flowers at all. These are bracts, that is, in fact, leaves, and the flowers are in the center.
Crimson bougainvillea was first discovered only in the 19th century by Englishwoman Alice Butt.
Bougainvilleas have their own record holders: in Brazil there is a plant whose height exceeds 15 meters and is two centuries old
The bougainvillea flower has been named the official flower of the American city of San Clemente.
In the tropics and subtropics of South America, where bougainvillea grows, the crop can climb to a height of many meters and entwine the walls of houses. Some varieties of this spectacular plant take the form of lushly flowering trees, covered with the thorns of powerful vines or modest shrubs.
In warm climates, the tops of the shoots are covered with flowers almost all year round. True, the corollas of real bougainvillea flowers can only be seen close up, and the multi-colored caps in which the foliage and stems are buried are modified leaves. Bracts vary in color, shape and size. There are two-color varieties, as well as plants in which the color of the bracts changes in intensity or tone over time.
Of the bougainvillea species existing in nature, the most popular among amateurs are beautiful bougainvillea and naked bougainvillea. In addition, there are a lot of interspecific hybrids, as well as cultural forms and varieties of the most amazing colors.
This type of plant is characterized by an incredible growth rate and often looks like a large vine, up to 15 meters high. Like all types of bougainvillea, the leaves of this variety have a heart-shaped, pointed shape. The back side is covered with a small pile, the autumn leaf plates are dense and durable. In the photo of bougainvillea, in addition to leaves and curved thorns, bright bracts are clearly visible. Bougainvillea flowers, opening from April to mid-autumn, are collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the branches. A group of two or three stipules surrounds 1 to 3 true flowers.
This type of bougainvillea, in the photo, is much smaller. Its maximum height is only five meters, which makes it possible to use the plant as an indoor crop. This is facilitated by the fact that the plant tolerates pruning almost painlessly and can be shaped at the owner’s request.
An example of this is the Bougainvillea Sanderiana shown in the photo, an old variety tested by gardeners around the world.
Unlike beautiful bougainvillea, this species has completely smooth leaves, and blooms in spring and early summer. The range of colors is incredibly wide, which is facilitated by active breeding work. It was bougainvillea glabra, cultivated back in 1861, that became the basis for obtaining a great variety of hybrid and varietal plants that today decorate gardens, parks and window sills.
Another variety is bougainvillea Alexandra, ideal for compact indoor compositions and creating original garden sculptures. True, in Russian conditions in open ground this beautiful vine takes root only in the southern regions, since it does not tolerate frosts below -8 °C.
This species is not so often found in ornamental plantings, but bougainvillea, discovered in 1810, became known for its hybrids with other varieties of the plant. Breeders were attracted by the crop's unusual ability to bloom several times a year after a natural or artificial drought.
In nature, plants of this species are extremely reluctant to branch, so bougainvillea, as in the photo, often forms spectacular cascading shoots.
Most modern varieties of bougainvillea are obtained from a hybrid accidentally noticed in the garden. The plant was named after its owner Bougainvillea × buttiana and classified as a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Peruviana.
Varietal bougainvilleas differ strikingly from each other in size, shape and color of bracts.
The simplest, but very effective and popular among gardeners are varieties of bougainvillea with ordinary monochromatic bracts and rich green foliage.
One of the most common varieties, bougainvillea sanderiana pleases the eye with lush purple bracts, lends itself well to shaping and is quite unpretentious at home.
The bougainvillea variety Vera Deep Purple shown in the photo matches it. The plant stands out with dense crimson bracts that densely cover the ends of young shoots. No less impressive is the appearance of the flowers of bougainvillea varieties Glabra Donker and New Violet, which also reveal large violet-purple bracts.
Bougainvillea varieties Cypheri, Australian Pink and Donya are a godsend for the gardener who prefers plants with pink bracts. Moreover, in the latter case, flowering does not stop almost all year round.
The Crimson Lake, Black India Red and Tomato Red bougainvillea varieties shown in the photo are captivating with all shades of red, purple, crimson and burgundy.
The flowering looks unusually sunny against the background of green foliage. b Uganvillea Golden Tango with large yellow bracts and very small true flowers.
The group of bougainvilleas with simple white bracts is represented by the variety Jamaica White, which is distinguished by the abundance and duration of flowering, as well as Mrs Alice and Penelope.
The original variety of bougainvillea Lateritia cannot be ignored thanks to the bright salmon color of the bracts, shimmering in the sun with all shades of orange and pink.
Terry varieties are famous for their particularly dense caps at the ends of the shoots and exceptional decorativeness. Photos of bougainvillea from the Double varietal group, which includes plants with white, salmon, pale pink, purple, red and orange stipules, are always a reason for the admiration and envy of many gardeners.
The bougainvillea variety Double Lilarose has amazingly sensual shades of pink, salmon and lilac combined with a long flowering period and relative unpretentiousness. Also interesting is Boogervillea Double Pink, which differs from the first representative of the group in more delicate tones and a slightly greenish base of the stipules.
The luxurious caps of juicy crimson bracts on Double Red bougainvillea will be a discovery for beginning gardeners and will not leave connoisseurs of this tropical crop indifferent.
Double flowering is not the limit of the possibilities of a unique flower.
Today, lovers of indoor and garden floriculture have at their disposal varieties that fully reveal the ability of the bracts of this plant to change color over time.
The bracts of bougainvillea variety Bois De Roses are orange at first, but gradually change color, becoming deep pink. A similar picture is observed during flowering of the Thai Gold variety. This bougainvillea shown in the photo appears golden-orange in the first days, but as the bracts fade, they become completely blush-pink.
Similar metamorphoses occur with many plant varieties and hybrids. Initially white bracts take on pink tones, red-orange ones become crimson or purple. By skillfully combining specimens with such extraordinary properties, you can turn your garden into something constantly changing, but always beautiful.
Even more surprising are bougainvillea varieties on which two-color bracts appear simultaneously or on different branches their shades differ significantly.
Strawberry Lace is a plant with white and pink stipules that can only be compared to fresh strawberries and cream. On the stipules of bougainvillea Mary Palmer the shades are more delicate and blurred. On a basic white background, strokes of lilac and lavender look very beautiful.
A special place is occupied by varieties that, in addition to bright and sometimes multi-colored bracts, also have two shades combined on the foliage.
Most of these plants are the result of a spontaneous mutation, so offspring can only be obtained from them vegetatively using cuttings and layering.
Bougainvillea San Diego Red Variegata has red bracts that appear even more striking and provocative against the background of light golden-green foliage.
The salmon or golden bracts of Delta Dawn bougainvillea look like real gold against the bluish-green foliage with bright white edges.
In addition to golden or white spots on bougainvillea leaves, you can also see pink tones. An example of this is the beautiful Raspberry Ice variety with carmine bracts and decorative foliage, as if toasted along the edges.
