There is one word to describe bougainvillea and that is spectacular.
It is one of the most popular ornamental plants and will be one of the most colourful plants to have in your garden, and it comes in; pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, yellow and Coconut Ice (a combination of white and pink).
The middle of the flower is small and generally white in colour, but then there is a cluster of bright coloured bracts, which remind you of very thin tissue paper.
In the UAE, it can be planted directly into the ground or in a pot and it is even used as hedging here. It can be pruned to make a standard and can grow along fence lines on walls or up a trellis. It can be a Bonsai or in a hanging basket. It’s versatility is legendary and well-used in the Middle East.
Bougainvillea is native to South America and because of interbreeding there are over 300 different types. It is nearly pest-free and disease-resistant.
Philibert Commerçon, a French botanist, is thought to be the first European to see the plant while he was sailing around the world in 1798. He named it after the French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville whom he was travelling with at the time.
Bougainvillea is salt, drought-tolerant and grows best in dry soil with full, bright sun. It can flower all year and requires little water once established so perfect for the Dubai climate. The plant is a thorny, woody vine and can grow from one to 12m high. You need to make sure you position bougainvillea in your garden in a place where there is no foot traffic as the spiky thorns can give a nasty cut.
Bougainvillea is an absolute must in that sunny spot of your garden in the UAE.
