Xeriscape Landscaping Plants For The Arizona Desert Environment
Pictures, Photos, And Information
Vines

Bougainvillea, Bougainvillea glabra

Bougainvillea. Photo January 21, 2006. Arrowhead Ranch.

Bougainvillea	Bougainvillea Flowers
Bougainvillea Flower And Bracts	The Actual Bougainvillea Flower Bracts In Background

Bougainvillea Bougainvillea glabra or Bougainvillea brasiliensis, Bougainvillea or Four-O'Clock Family ( Nyctaginaceae ), Bougainvillea. Also called Bougainvillea brasiliensis, Prostrate Acacia. In 1768, the French navigator, Admiral Louis de Bougainvillea began his long journey of the Pacific Ocean and discovered the vine that now bears his name, Bougainvillea, is a native plant of South America and it is grown extensively in the warmer climates of the United States. It grows very well in Arizona. It can be grown as a hedge, groomed as a ground cover, pruned as an espalier, trained as a tree or contained in a pot in a variety of shapes. It comes in many colors. i.e. Purple, lavender, carmine, scarlet, red, pink, orange, yellow and white. Single and double flower forms are available. Its bracts appear on the ends of new growth. The colorful, papery "blooms" are not flowers; they are bracts. The true flower is white to pink, trumpet shaped and almost unnoticeable within the bracts. Bougainvilleas are available in a variety of species, each having its unique characteristics. It is a very showy plant. It is truly one of the most beautiful plants we know of. But, it has one drawback. It has very high litter. Do not place one near a pool. We know many people who have removed the plants after a few years, due to the high litter. Height: Height about 2 - 5 feet, sometimes higher. Spreading about 6 - 12 feet. Can reach over 30 feet. Flowers: Very small, white, trumpet shaped and almost unnoticeable. Within showy bracts Blooming Time: Year round. Not too much in mid December - mid January. Leaves: Dark green, shaped like little hearts with drip tips at the ends. Some are ovate to rounded, leathery and hairy underneath. Others are elliptical, wide in middle, hairy. Elevation: 0 - 2,500 Feet. Habitat: Full Sun. Dry or wet Soil. A Xeriscape Landscape plant. Native to Amazon rainforest in South America. Miscellaneous: Photos Taken At January 21, 2006. Arrowhead Ranch.