Everybody knows Bougainvillea, even if not by name but by sight. When a bush is covered in flowers, it is spectacular and can be seen from quite a distance. Some of the different colours are pictured here, including one that is white and pink all in one.
It should be noted that the actual flower is that tiny white thing in the middle of the very large and colourful sepals. Generally there is no fragrance attached to Bougainvillea, at least not to humans, and the leaves are a very ordinary darkish green. However, what is memorable besides the vibrant colours are the long and very painful thorns, some of which are shown in the photos.
Due to it’s thorny nature, Bougainvillea makes a great hedge. If trimmed regularly it can get quite thick and live for a very long time. Most of the colours are very hardy, but some do take a bit more TLC to get a solid footing, and once established, will live for many years. Bougainvillea is also very easy to propagate using cuttings first placed in water until some roots appear, and then bagged or potted until a bit stronger before putting in the ground.
Bougainvillea in every colour can be see growing around Barbados, neatly trimmed ones and wild spreading ones that become a mass of colour, as shown in one of the photographs. If you are inspecting one at close quarters, beware of the thorns. Bougainvillea stems get harder with age, and when trimmed pieces dry out, they get very hard indeed. Should you step on one of the thorns you will remember it for a very long time. Not only is it painful due to its size and length, but it tends to burn as it penetrates the skin and takes quite a long time to heal. So the moral of the story is, go with care, they are so worth it.
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