Beauty of Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea arborea or Bougainvillea plant is one of the most popular plants for spring and summer themes. They are perhaps the most widely grown tropical vines. The Bougainvillea is native to south America. There are as many as 18 species of this plant. The name is deried from Louis Antoine de Bougainville who encountered the plant in Brazil and described it to the Europeans.

The Bougainvillea has bright lavender leaves that are very long. It flowers round the year with the blooming starting in September and continuing till May. It is a fast-growing plant, with many branches. It is usually famous for its brilliant blooms and rapid growing rate.This is the reason why it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It is an evergreen, woody plant and it usually have spines. Bougainvillea plants have cascading stems which end with colorful bracts of many shades to shield small beautiful, inconspicuous flowers. Some of the best bougainvilleas are:California Gold, Barbara Karst, Jamaica White, Texas Dawn and many more.

Bougainvillea can grow in any kind of soil as long as it is fertile and well drained. For a successful growth of bougainvillea, containers should be kept moist but they should be well drained as well. A healthy plant drinks a lot of water during the warm times but in cooler periods the water requirement will be less. The amount of water to be given depends on soil, temperature and size of the plant.

Bougainvilleas must be put in full sun for a decent growth. At least 5 hours a day of full sunlight is a must for good blooming. More of sunlight is obviously better. Less than 5 hours and it may not bloom that well. Do not expect your bougainvillea to bloom indoors. Keep your plant outdoors and give it the sun exposure that it wants. Optimum growing temperatures for Bougainvillea are warm days and cool nights. A light frost is of no worry but falling of leaves can be soon expected. If no more frost is exposed to the plant, it may regrow.

The need for fertilizers is sure for any plant or tree. Same is the case with with Bougainvillea. The fertilizers used must be rich in iron, magnesium and phosphorus. It has to be made sure that no additional amount is used than required. It may harm the plant instead of helping it to blossom.

Bougainvillea can be used in many different ways. They can either be used in hanging baskets or be grown as a tree. Also because of its growth of thorns, this plant is ideal as a barrier for security purposes. Bougainvillea can be used as bushy potted plants. If its long shoots are trimmed, blooms are more visible and abundant. The vibrant colour is enhanced by the large leaves that surround its flowers. It may also be used to decorate fences where vibrant colours are needed.

Bougainvilleas, being so full of variety and life, are not much adaptive. They may experience some leaf drop or total defoliation if transported. But given a good drink to the plant, they will be right back in no time.