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Nyctaginaceae
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
Passion, beauty, warm welcome.
- Family
- Nyctaginaceae
- Genus
- Bougainvillea
- Native to
- South America (eastern Brazil, Peru, Argentina)
- Bloom season
- Year-Round In Tropics
- Type
- evergreen woody vine
- Height
- 1–12 m climbing
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Well-drained
- Water
- Low; drought tolerant
- Hardiness
- 9–11
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- The 'flowers' of bougainvillea are actually colored leaves called bracts — the true flowers are tiny white tubes in the center.
- Bougainvillea was discovered in Brazil in 1768 by Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, who was disguised as a man on the expedition led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville.
- It's the official flower of Guam, Lien-Hua, and several Mediterranean cities including Ipoh, Malaysia.
- Bougainvillea thorns can carry bacteria that cause infections, earning it the nickname 'lawyer's plant' in some regions.
- Some bougainvillea vines have been recorded growing over 30 meters wide and living more than 50 years.