(Bougainvillea, Paperflower, Sweet Dream Bougainvillea)

The genus Bougainvillea comprises about 18 species. They are woody, scrambling, thorny vines, shrubs and small trees native to South America. The genus is named for Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French explorer who sailed around the world in 1767 and discovered the plant in the area of Brazil. There are several commercially important species and hundreds of cultivated varieties.

Generally, these plants are evergreen but some may be semi-evergreen for a short time during winter....

(Bougainvillea, Paperflower, Tahitian Maid Bougainvillea)

The dense, double blooms of ‘Tahitian Maid’ ignite frost-free gardens with their vibrant magenta-red color. This vigorously climbing evergreen tropical is not a true vine but a liana, a group of shrubs that send their long branches into jungle trees of South America. Three major species are the parents of our garden hybrids, which have been crossed into a dazzling array of sizes and colors. Their long branches are lined with dark green leaves and end in masses of bloom.

The color is from bracts,...

(Bougainvillea, Paperflower, Temple Fire Bougainvillea)

A fabulous dwarf bougainvillea, ‘Temple Fire’ shows flaming color in both its flower and its bronze leaf accents. This is a cultivar derived from Bougainvillea glabra, which was crossed with hybrids to create a rainbow of colors and dwarf forms for smaller gardens. It retains the intense, long-lasting color of its ancestors in spite of its short stature plants.

The brick red color blooms are bracts, leaves that have evolved to lure pollinators. The bracts are very long lasting and fade...

(Bougainvillea, Torch Glow Bougainvillea)

This bougainvillea, ‘Torch Glow,’ stands on its own amidst the many garden bougainvilleas due to its unique, upright, shrubby form. Bougainvilleas are technically lianas, tropical shrubs with reaching stems that grow into the treetops of their jungles of origin. Yet this selection was discovered in California among a group of seedlings imported from the Philippines. Ordinary plants have fast-growing stems with widely spaced leaves. The leaves of ‘Torch Glow’ are tightly packed together on their...

(Bougainvillea)

These hybrid bougainvillea, a cross of Bougainvillea spectabilis and B. peruviana are very popular semi-evergreen vines that usually flower multiple times across the year. The small flowers are creamy-white and are surrounded by the colorful papery bracts that are coppery when young and then mature to vibrant shades of pink. Its large, dark green leaves are smooth and are held year-round, depending on temperature and soil moisture. It is a thorny plant that is going to need room...

(Bougainvillea, Tree Bougainvillea)

The genus Bougainvillea comprises about 18 species. They are woody, scrambling, thorny vines, shrubs and small trees native to South America. The genus is named for Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French explorer who sailed around the world in 1767 and discovered the plant in the area of Brazil. There are several commercially important species and hundreds of cultivated varieties.

Generally, these plants are evergreen but some may be semi-evergreen for a short time during winter....

(Bougainvillea, Paperflower, Small-leaved Bougainvillea)

Small-leaved bougainvillea is a vigorous, woody, evergreen climber with short thorns and deeper green leaves. Colorful papery clusters of magenta to white bracts fill the stems from summer to autumn, however it can flush flowers across the year. Bougainvillea is typically a large plant with an open habit that requires pruning.

Plant in full sun and fertile, well-drained garden soil. Bougainvillea makes a colorful accent on walls or pergolas and may be planted as an annual in hanging baskets or...

(Bougainvillea, Paperflower, White Bougainvillea)

Small-leaved bougainvillea is a vigorous, woody, evergreen climber with short thorns and deeper green leaves. Cultivar 'Alba' produces papery clusters of white bracts over the stems from summer to autumn, however it can flush flowers across the year. Bougainvillea is typically a large plant with an open habit that requires pruning.

Plant in full sun and fertile, well-drained garden soil. Bougainvillea makes a colorful accent on walls or pergolas and may be planted as an annual in hanging baskets...

(Bougainvillea, Sanderiana Bougainvillea)

Small-leaved bougainvillea is a vigorous, woody, evergreen climber with short thorns and deeper green leaves. Colorful papery clusters of magenta to white bracts fill the stems from summer to autumn, however it can flush flowers across the year. Bougainvillea is typically a large plant with an open habit that requires pruning.

Plant in full sun and fertile, well-drained garden soil. Bougainvillea makes a colorful accent on walls or pergolas and may be planted as an annual in hanging baskets or...

(Great Bougainvillea)

Showy bougainvillea is a vigorous, woody, climber with curving thorns and soft, green leaves with hairy undersides. Stems are also hairy. Breathtaking and abundant colorful clusters of pink or purple bracts appear seasonally, triggered by a cold temperature regime or, most consistently, during the dry season. Bougainvillea is typically a large plant with an open habit that requires pruning.

Plant in full sun and fertile, well-drained garden soil. Showy bougainvillea makes a colorful accent on...