All About Bougainvillea Flowers – History, Meaning, Facts, Care & More

All about Bougainvillea

The Bougainvillea flowers are well known. Their scientific name for these flowers is still Bougainvillea and it is from the family of Nyctaginaceae. You may have stumbled upon these beautiful flowers without even realizing it. Their leaves are a bright green and arranged alternately along their stems. They have floral tubes within their blooms which are normally in the color of white or yellow. Their petals seem to look like paper and are often in the color of magenta. Here is some history, meaning, facts and care from the expert florist:

• History

These flowers are found in the warmest parts of the world. They are a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were found there by a French explorer and naturalist named Philibert Commercon and named the flower after his good friend, a French admiral in the name of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. It was brought to Europe during the early 19^th century.

• Meaning

These flowers are well known in Hawaii where they are usually used to create the floral garlands that natives wear on the island. Hence, the flower is known to symbolize ‘welcome’. It is used to welcome guests and visitors to happy occasions.

• Facts

The bougainvillea plant is a thorny vine which can actually reach 39 feet in height. When the area or place the plant is growing is closer to the equator, these usually bloom all year long. In non-tropical locations, though, their bloom cycles just last up to six weeks tops.

Now, if you have noticed those paper-like petals, then you would be surprised to know that those are leaves and the flowers of these plant are actually those tiny white flowers in the middle. The colorful shades that you usually see on the plant are actually their leaves.

These leaves are called bracts. They can be seen in different shades like pink, purple, and yellow, red, white, salmon and orange. The most common can be the purple one or white. This flower is also known as Grenada’s National flower.

They usually grow in tropical and sub-tropical regions or other warm climate areas of the world. They don’t usually need a lot of water and can easily be taken care of as long as there is enough sun in your area.

• How to care for your bougainvillea flowers

If you are planning to grow some bougainvillea’s but are not sure where to start you should know these very basic tips on taking care of this beautiful flower. They are known to thrive in warm places because they need dry soil in order to survive. They also need to be placed in a place where the sun can always reach them. You should also regularly fertilize the soil, like any other plant, they grow better with good soil.

These flowers are a favorite among gardeners because they do not need a lot of water and often die or wilt when they are given too much. They are also naturally resistant to diseases and other pests one might find in the garden. These flowers are versatile, especially in the design or shape and other departments. They can easily be cut into small topiary like designs among other things. And because of their beautiful colors, they can come in many shapes and sizes and would still look like an explosive tropical paradise.

These plants are usually good to fill up big and open spaces like too much land in a property or it could even be planted in parks to make it a more relaxing and calm setting. Of course, you do not need a big land to plant these flowers as enough land would be okay. Keep in mind that these plants can grow up to 39 feet tall, so all you have to make sure is you have enough space to cover for that. It actually makes it easier as it is a big plant that does not need a lot of attention, especially in the water department. They would grow on their own mostly with enough sunlight and care.

Growing your own flowers is actually a pretty good and fun activity that you can do yourself, with a love one or with your family. Although Bougainvillea’s may take time to grow, you would be surprised at how they would turn out since there is no telling what color of bracts they would produce. These flowers are a great addition to any front or back yard as they are colorful and calming to look at. They would look like vine-like trees when they grow up to 39 feet.

The other benefits of this kind of flower is that when the leaves fall, from wind or from old age, they would still look beautiful scattered on the ground and would not look like something you would want to sweep off your yard like wilted leaves. If you are familiar with the Cherry Blossoms of Japan, then you would appreciate the colorful leaves and flowers of the bougainvillea plant.

In growing plants, one must always have patience and perseverance as it takes a while to even see the slightest signs of life in a growing plant. Others may say that you would need a green thumb, but a green thumb is nothing more than hard work and love. You must care for your plants like they are your very own children and watch them thrive and grow into the beautiful stems and stalks that they are.