Bougainvillea, a treasure of the tropics: characteristics, varieties and how to take care of it so that it is filled with flowers

bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)are tropical climbing shrubs popular. Her bonito is in honor of the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811), who discovered it in Brazil and brought it to Europe.

All bougainvilleas originally come from a relatively small area that extends along the Andes from Ecuador to Brazil.

They grow there in forests, where they lose their leaves with the onset of the dry season and then they sprout again. There are different varieties and hybrids of the Bougainvillea glabra and the Bougainvillea spectabilis. There are about 15 other species.

characteristics and growth

These tropical climbing shrubs they spread and climb with the help of long, slightly thorny shoots.

With good care, bloom with short breaks throughout the summer in strong, bright colors ranging from white, through yellow-orange, pink, and purple to blood red.

The pointed, egg-shaped leaves they almost completely disappear under the lush flowers in summer.

The plants They reach impressive heights, exceeding five meters in their natural habitat and also in the Mediterranean region.

bougainvillea varieties

There are a wide range of bougainvillea varieties with different flower colours, sizes and shapes. Most are cultivated hybrids that have been developed over the years to have specific characteristics, such as larger flowers or brighter colors.

Bougainvillea arborea: It is an arboreal species with drooping branches, large green leaves, and pink flowers.Bougainvillea brasiliensis: it has smaller leaves and red or pink flowers.Bougainvillea buttiana: it is a hybrid between B. glabra and B. peruviana and has brightly colored flowers, including pink, red, and orange.Colombian Bougainvillea: it has large leaves and dark pink flowers with purple bracts.Bougainvillea decumbens: it is a species of creeping growth with white or pink flowers.Bougainvillea glabra: It has small leaves and pink, purple or white flowers.Bougainvillea huanita: it is a species of creeping growth with white or pink flowers.Bougainvillea laevis: It has larger leaves than B. glabra and pink or red flowers.Bougainvillea lepidopetala: it is a species with pink flowers and smaller bracts than other Bougainvillea species.Bougainvillea malmeana: It has dark red or purple flowers.Peruvian Bougainvillea: with large leaves and pink or red flowers.Bougainvillea pilosa: it is a species with hairy leaves and white or pink flowers.Bougainvillea punctata: with white or pink flowers with red or purple bracts.Bougainvillea spectabilis: it is a species with large leaves and pink, red or purple flowers.Bougainvillea spinosa: it is a variety with thorny branches and white or pink flowers.Bougainvillea stipitata: its leaves are large and the flowers are pink or purple.Bougainvillea tomentosa: it is a species with hairy leaves and pink or purple flowers.B.ougainvillea dressed: It has large leaves and pink or purple flowers with white bracts.

location and substrate

bougainvillea they need a warm location and full sun, because even in semi-shade they produce significantly fewer flower buds.

A place sheltered from the rain on the terrace is ideal, but the bougainvillea they can also be grown year-round in a bright, heated greenhouse.

They grow best in a structurally stable, permeable substrate with sufficient mineral content. Adding clay is very good for them.

Careful

Bougainvilleas have high water and nutrient requirements. It is best to water potted bougainvillea twice a week or something more in very hot times, trying not to wet its leaves

A regular supply of water during the vegetation period it is very important because climbing shrubs lose their leaves very quickly and stop growing if they lack water.

From spring to late summer, bougainvilleas should also be given a liquid compost. at least every two weeks.

Replant

The bougainvillea pot should not be excessively large. since this does not favor flowering: in containers that are too large, the plants can only form leaves. A pot of about 30 cm in diameter is ideal. The transplant is carried out every two or three years in spring.

PRUNING

If you don’t cut the triple flowers, shoots a meter long with weak ramifications are formed, They only have flowers at the ends.

Thus, strong pruning is recommended in autumn before wintering or in spring. The plants go through several flowering phases in one season, after which they also need to be lightly pruned again and again.

Regular pruning can easily keep plants at a height of one to two meters. After a few years, when the main shoots are strong enough, climbing aids can be dispensed with.

Winter

bougainvillea they do not tolerate frost at all. Therefore, the pots should be brought indoors in time in autumn in places where frost occurs.

A bright location with temperatures between 10 and 15ºC is ideal. When there is a lack of light, the bushes lose their leaves, but that is not a problem, they will sprout again in the spring.

Water leafless plants enough to prevent the soil from drying out completely. On the other hand, the pot should not be placed directly on a cold stone floor, but on a wooden board.

Plants that are in pots in warm areas such as the Mediterranean area They can stay outside all year.

If you have the bougainvillea planted directly in the ground and live in a frosty area, you can cover it with an available thermal blanket in gardens or online in the harshest months to prevent the cold from spoiling it.

diseases and pests

In general, bougainvilleas are quite hardy, however, in hot, dry and water-scarce climates, they are occasionally attacked by spider mites. Mealybugs can also appear, especially in winter.