Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is one of the showiest vines you can grow.

 The large plant practically smothers itself in big clusters
of papery bracts.

While bougainvillea is tropical,
it's usually grown as an annual in cold-winter areas.

 

Bougainvillea is a kind of thorny ornamental plant, bushes, and trees with flower-like spring leaves near its flowers. Different authors accept between four and eighteen species in the genus. They are native plants of South America, from Brazil west to Ecuador and south to southern Argentina.

 

The "flowers" are modified leaves, called bracts,

that are long-lasting and bright.

They appear periodically throughout most of the year,

but are especially plentiful in the winter,

when the splashes of color are a welcome sight.

Bougainvillea blooms in fuchsia, red, white, yellow, and orange.

 

Bougainvillea require full sun and perform better

when their soil is left a little dry,

 making this a perfect plant for the drought-tolerant landscape.

It needs to be protected from frost and freeze.