All the bougainvillea they are extraordinarily decorative climbers. And resistant, and also very adaptable: by pruning, you can shape them to grow as shrubs, or even as bonsai.
Surely you have seen those that have lilac bracts (many times called flowers), right? But, Did you know that there are other colors? Let's learn to take care of them.
The bougainvilleas that are most easily found in nurseries belong to the species bougainvillea glabra y Bouganvillea spectabilis. Both are the ones that best resist the cold of the whole genre; In fact, the B. glabrous It is rustic down to -7ºC and the B. spectabilisAlthough it is somewhat colder, it resists without problems up to -3ºC. They bloom practically all year round, from spring to late fall; and if the weather is good, they will continue to have flowers until winter.
Its leaves are elliptical about 10cm long, green in color; however, when they sprout, they have a softer hue. These plants are deciduous, which means that in autumn / winter (depending on the weather) they run out of leaves, so it is recommended to plant them away from the pool.
They grow in a wide variety of soils, preferring those whose pH is between 5'6 and 7'5. And, despite the fact that they are climbers whose height is considerable (10 meters), they are ideal to put in any type of garden, whether small or large. This is because its growth rate is rather slow, with which, can be easily controlled by pruning. This task has to be done at the end of the winter season, when the risk of frost passes and the temperatures begin to rise.
When pruning, we will cut (or reduce, as the case may be) those branches that have grown excessively. If we intend to have a beautiful bougainvillea bush, we will prune the stems that »hang down».
By the way, Did you know that what we call flowers are really bracts? The flowers are what emerges right from the center of the bracts. They are very small, but they also have their charm, don't you think?
Bougainvillea is a very grateful plant, which will give us great satisfaction, since not usually affected by any pests. If a case, during the summer we could see some mealybugs, but it is not frequent.
For it to have a proper development we have to place it in a location in full sun, support so I can climb. We will water it between one and two times a week, increasing to 3-4 in the flowering season and / or if we grow it in a pot.
And so far their care. Is it easy to maintain?
I have three specimens of different colors and there is no doubt that when the other plants bloom they surely comment on their beauty with envy, but each one has its own profile that highlights its situation in the garden very well and they are all beautiful to me.
Yes, they are certainly very decorative plants.