Bougainvillea, commonly called paper flowers, is one of the most popular, spectacular and beautiful flowering vines.
Discovered in Brazil during French Adm. Louis de Bougainville’s 1768 voyage, these plants were named in his honor.
In the 19th century, bougainvilleas were introduced to Europe. Soon nurseries in France and England had a thriving trade providing specimens to faraway countries. Natural hybrids were found to be common all over the world.
From the early introductions — Bougainvillea spectabilis, described in 1798; Bougainvillea peruviana, described in 1808; and Bougainvillea glabra, described in 1849 — there are now more than 300 varieties of bougainvillea around the world, including double flowered and variegated cultivars in reds, whites, pinks, oranges, purples and burgundies.
Tropical members of the Nyctaginaceae or four-o’clock family, bougainvilleas are evergreen vigorous vines that grow well in the ground, in pots, in hanging baskets and as formal standards. They thrive and flower best in full sun. In shade, although they produce nice vegetative growth, they offer little or no bloom. For the most vibrant and abundant flower, keep them in the sun, slightly on the dry side and allow them to become root bound.
For centuries, the bougainvillea has been a popular ornamental plant in most areas with year-round warm climates. It can be used as a hedge or a floriferous bush. It can climb a trellis, spread along a wall or adorn a trellis. It can be grown in a pot, it can cascade from a hanging baskets or it can be used as an accent tree.
It is sought after for topiaries and bonsai specimens.
Today, the bougainvillea lends an abundance of color to gardens, parks and to the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. Dried bougainvillea flowers were used to make the scarf of the University of Redlands Bulldog mascot on the university’s 100th anniversary Rose Parade float in 2007.
Bougainvilleas are showy, thorny, woody, clambering vines. Virtually pest-free and disease resistant, these hardy, drought-tolerant plants are easy to grow. They should be planted in well-drained soil, without high peat levels that retains water, and they prefer afternoon sun. Monthly fertilization with a generalized balanced (20-20-20 or 12-12-12) fertilizer is suggested for these heavy feeders during blooming season.
If you want to try planting your bougainvilleas in containers or hanging baskets, almost any container will do, but it must be of a size to hold the necessary soil and it must have good drainage. Bougainvilleas do not tolerate standing water.
A couple of tips: Mix non-dissolving Styrofoam packing materials with the soil mixture to lighten the pot weight and avoid black containers in full sun. Black absorbs heat, which makes the roots too hot. Also, Bougainvilleas bloom best when they are pot-bound, so it is best to leave the plant in its original container until the roots have replaced all of the soil and it becomes difficult to keep the plant watered.
Bougainvilleas have a bloom cycle followed by a rest period, so they may be pruned or trimmed any time of the year without disturbing the plant’s flowering. However, it is recommended to touch up the trimming or pruning, if possible, after the end of each blooming cycle to maintain the plant’s overall appearance.
Source: Joyce Dean, a member of the Garden and Floral Arrangers Guild
