Revisiting the ever-popular and delightful bougainvillea
MOST of us are of course familiar with bougainvillea, which provides beautiful displays in various shades of white, pink, yellow, red, purple, and mixed colours created through natural processes as well as hybridisation.
What makes bougainvillea attractive is not its tiny white flowers but rather its colourful bracts. This feature is similar to the poinsettia. However, unlike poinsettia, bougainvillea bracts will drop off and not become part of the foliage. Background Bougainvillea was first recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by French naturalist Dr Philibert Commerson in the 1760s. He named this flowering plant after his friend Louis Antoine de Bougainville. Bougainvillea is native to South America, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
After the plant was transferred to Europe and later to the Kew Gardens, a feverish growth of interest in this plant enabled several other varieties to be propagated and spread worldwide. Hybrids were found to be a natural spontaneous occurrence in several countries, especially with the pink bougainvillea from Peru. We now have over 300 varieties of bougainvillea worldwide.
As mentioned, the brilliant coloured structures are not flower petals but simply bracts or modified leaves that surround and protect the small tubular flowers inside. Bougainvillea is commonly called paper flower because the bracts have the look and feel of paper. The yellowish-white tubular flowers will slowly emerge from the buds.
Bougainvillea leaves are evergreen in our climate and semi-deciduous in colder climates. The leaves can have various shapes. Each leaf has a central longitudinal vein with branching offshoots.
It is an immensely showy floriferous and hardy plant. It is virtually pest free and disease resistant.
The various forms can be trained as climbers or even used as an archway or pergola. It is common to see the pruned or trimmed forms as topiaries or bonsai, besides various unique formations of displays. General characteristics The three main species are: Bougainvillea spectabilis Bougainvillea glabra Bougainvillea peruviana
There are also local cultivars – plants that are specially adapted to the natural environment around them over time.
Bougainvillea spectabilis is a large climber with thorns and hairs on its stems and leaves. It has rose, rusty red and purple coloured bracts. The leaves are large ovate to rounded, with a leathery texture and dense branches.
Bougainvillea glabra has thinner branches that spread all over with triangle-shaped bracts in shades of white, lilac, and mauve.
This plant can flower virtually continuously and the bracts protecting the flowers will cover the entire length of the branch.
Bougainvillea peruviana has a branching habit that is loose and spreads by climbing. The bracts are small and round in light to dark magenta. Planting tips Bougainvillea prefers acidic soil of pH 5.5 to pH 6.5. That is why it does well in Sarawak because that is the normal pH level for our soil here. As such, you do not need to add lime to improve the soil’s condition. Because of bougainvillea’s fine root system, it should be planted in welldrained sites. So you should avoid soil with a high level of peat, which will retain water and become too wet for the fine roots.
A strict regime for applying fertilisers is needed to promote growth and prolific flowering. Nitrogen and phosphorus are critical for flowering. Do note though that nitrogen is also good for leaves, so add too much of it and the plant will not flower. So a general fertiliser of 20+20+20 or 12+12+12 can result in an imbalance for flowering.
A better recommendation for bougainvillea is 6-8-10. A specialised formula adds in 5 per cent iron to boost flowering – this is the secret of vibrant beautiful bougainvillea bracts. That is probably why there is a saying about how planting paper flowers in iron containers will result in more flowers than those planted in porcelain pots.
For a better and more appealing shape, you will need to put in added effort to prune and restrict the plant’s twisting and branching habit. Trim to maintain neat or orderly growth and pinch to remove or shorten buds or shoots. This will also improve the shape and quality of the bracts.
Finally, do not overwater bougainvillea. Instead let it dry out and then water to promote flowering as well.
One bad point about bougainvillea is the dropping of spent bracts does tend to dirty the ground. However, their beauty will more than make up for it.
Do send me an email if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
Happy gardening.