What Do Bougainvillea Look Like?

Secret Flowers

• Bougainvillea flowers are insignificant, but surrounded by colorful bracts. Borne singly or in clusters of two or three, bougainvillea's true flowers are about 1 inch wide, waxy, tubular and yellow or white. Three colorful modified leaves, called bracts, surround each flower. Bracts are 1 to 2 inches long and colored purple, red, pink, yellow, orange or white. Some bougainvillea varieties bear patterned bracts, such as "Jamaica White," which bears white bracts veined with green. Blooming occurs according to light levels: In cold climates, blooming is restricted to the summer months, but in warm areas, bougainvillea blooms intermittently year round.

Leaf-Concealed Thorns

• Leaves and thorns on bougainvillea vary according to climate, species and variety. Although generally evergreen, bougainvillea loses its leaves when overwintered in cool climates. Thorns grow at the base of heart-shaped, rich green, 3- to 5-inch leaves. Bougainvillea spectablilis leaves are hairy underneath but Bougainvillea glabra leaves are smooth, and its thorns are fewer and shorter. Varieties with gold and green variegated leaves include "Vickie" and "Juanita Hatten."

Flexible Growth

• Classed as vines, bougainvillea also grows as shrubs and standards when pruned. Bougainvillea spectablilis grows up to 30 feet long and Bougainvillea x buttiana grows up to 40 feet. Bougainvillea glabra is less vigorous, growing up to 20 feet. Responding well to pruning, bougainvillea grows as relaxed shrubs or standards, trained up a short cane with bushy growth confined to the top. Prune bougainvillea after flowering to restrict its growth, cutting back long shoots to 18 to 20 inches and pinching out the tips of new growth to create a bushy effect.

Bursting Blooms

• Root restriction and frequent, weak feeding promote flowering in bougainvillea. Grown in rich soil, plants can develop vegetative growth at the expense of flowers. Grow bougainvillea in 5- to 10 gallon clay containers or 12-inch hanging baskets in a mixture of four parts rotted pine bark, three parts peat moss and two parts coarse perlite. Feed with a low-strength fertilizer weekly during the growing season, such as a 24-8-16 fertilizer diluted at a rate of 1/4-teaspoon per gallon of water or half the strength recommended by the manufacturer's instructions. Water regularly, allowing containers to drain thoroughly, so that the soil is constantly moist but never sodden.