Bougainvillea:The Flower of Passion

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Could you name a garden plant with flowers all year? My science teacher asked us when I was in 6th grade in our village school. He had to answer the question himself as we all guessed it wildly wrong. Though I have never looked it up to verify the correctness of that answer, I just believed it to be true for, ever since, I’ve seen bougainvillea in bloom on and off all year. 



Bougainvillea looks gorgeous and seems to be present almost everywhere, one of the most widely distributed and versatile ornamental plants. It is found everywhere in warm climates worldwide, inviting our attention, especially where they are well exposed to sunlight. Evergreen in tropical and subtropical climes but deciduous in colder climates especially during winter.

We mistake its paper-thin bracts of various colors for its flowers. In fact, its real flowers are tiny white ones, often unnoticeable from a distance as they are overshadowed by bracts of vibrant colors of pink, white, orange, purple, yellow, burgundy, etc.

Bougainvillea grooms itself to put on a very colorful display, offering a free feast for the eyes on waysides and as garden hedgerows. It is usually seen as thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the Four o'clock family of plants, or Nyctaginaceae. It is particularly eye-catching when trellised or espaliered.

Though well-known to all as an everyday plant, the name is not easy to spell for many as it comes from French. It is believed to have been first recorded by French botanist Philibert Commerçon, in the 1760s. It was so named by Commerçon, after the French admiral, Loui-Antoine de Bougainville, an explorer whom Commerçon had joined on an expedition around the world. What an immortalizing gift from a fellow traveler!

Interestingly, in my mother tongue, it is known as kadalasupoovu. That can be literally translated as paper flower, obviously mistaking the paper-like bracts for their flowers. People grow them in their gardens for their stunningly colored bracts, not for the creamy white flowers.

So go get one in a color of your choice or a mix of many if you want to add easy and lasting color to your garden or landscape. As a bonus, you will be contributing to the ecosystem since bougainvillea provides shelter and nutrition to butterflies and birds. 

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