The Bougainvillea (Dutch name bougainvillea), is a climber that we can find against walls and buildings in the countries around the Mediterranean. The tropical perennial plant is nicknamed “paper flower”. because the colored bracts have a paper-like appearance. Bracts with the colors purple, red, pink, orange, white or yellow with three small, white and star-shaped flowers in the center. A Mediterranean plant with a cheerful appearance that does well on a terrace or balcony in the Netherlands or Belgium, but must go inside in the winter.
- The varieties of the Bougainvillea
- Cultivars and Hybrids
- Description of the Bougainvillea
- Sheet
- The bracts
- Flower
- Pruning
- Propagate
- Toxic
The varieties of the Bougainvillea
The Bougainvillea is a genus of plants from the Nyctaginaceae family (night cleats). The Nyctaginaceae family includes herbs, shrubs and trees of 30 genera and 300 species. The genus Bougainvillea is one of 30 genera and has 15 species. The species come from tropical and subtropical Central and South America. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Bougainvillea was introduced to Europe in countries around the Mediterranean. In countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and Israel, the Bougainvillea grows outside against walls and buildings and is notable for a waterfall of mainly pink, red and purple colors. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the cultivars and hybrids of the plant are favorite as a garden and house plant. The varieties that are best known in the Netherlands and Belgium with the original color and special colors are the:
- Bougainvillea glabra;
- Bougainvillea peruviana;
- Bougainvillea x buttiana.
The Bougainvillea glabra
The Bougainvillea glabra blooms in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea all summer with lilac / purple flowers. Various cultivars of this plant are for sale in the Netherlands and Belgium, such as the:
- Bougainvillea glabra ‘Sanderiana’ with violet-colored baths;
- Bougainvillea glabra ‘Alba’ with white bracts;
- Bougainvillea glabra ‘Magnifica’ with magenta red bracts;
- Bougainvillea glabra ‘Golden Glow’ with orange bracts that turn pink.
The Bougainvillea peruviana
This Bougainvillea is more open, has a greenish bark and magenta-red bracts. The young plant has straight, thin thorns and as the plant gets older, the thorns are turned.
The Bougainvillea x buttiana
The Bougainvillea x buttiana is a cross of the genera Bougainvillea glabra x Bougainvillea spectabilis. The Bougainvillea spectabilis requires tropical conditions and is not suitable for the Netherlands and Belgium. A cross of two genera (cultivars) that are suitable in the Netherlands and Belgium are the:
- the Mrs. Butt of Crimson Lake with dark red bracts;
- the Orange King with salmon / pink leaves;
- the Temple Fire with brick-red bracts.
Papery bracts and the flowers.Cultivars and Hybrids
A cultivar is a new plant that arose spontaneously in nature or selected by growers from a species based on certain characteristics of the original plant, of which the genetic properties are preserved. Species crosses or hybrids also occur spontaneously in nature or are crossed by breeders. Plant names with an x, such as Bougainvillea glabra x Bougainvillea spectabilis, are always crosses between two species of the same genus, either originated or cultivated spontaneously. Crosses from different sexes are also possible, spontaneously or in breeding. In the Netherlands and Belgium, various cultivars and hybrids of the Bougainvillea, grown by growers, are for sale.
Description of the Bougainvillea
The Bougainvillea is a climbing shrub with tendril and thorny branches that can grow up to four meters in length in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the countries around the Mediterranean Sea it is up to nine meters long. The plant is a Mediterranean bloomer and in the climate of the Netherlands and Belgium, not hardy. The plant that is on the terrace or dug in the garden as a container plant must therefore go inside before the first night frost and overwinter in a bright place at a temperature of five to ten degrees Celsius. In winter, the plant needs little water so that the root ball does not dry out. The need for water depends on whether or not the Bougainvillea keeps its leaves, which in turn depends on the wintering site. In a place with little light and a low temperature, the plant will lose the leaves and evaporation will no longer take place, so that the root ball hardly needs water. From May / June, the Bougainvillea can be placed outside in a sunny and sheltered spot. Then water the Bougainvillea generously and fertilize it monthly. If the plant gets long branches, it is best to lead them along a wire or frame. At the ends of most of the new branches are the colorful bracts with the small white flowers. It is the many colored bracts of the Bougainvillea that give the plant color and in the Netherlands and Belgium give it that Mediterranean feeling on your own terrace.
Sheet
Bougainvillea leaves are green and heart-shaped with clearly visible veins. The plant forms long, vining branches with pointed thorns and on most branches the colorful bracts with the three white flowers appear at the top.
The bracts
A bract is usually a green leaf in the axilla of the flower. The Bougainvillea has three colored bracts around three small white flowers and has the function of attracting pollinators, such as bees and bumblebees. It is precisely the beautiful papery, colored and veined bracts that give the plant the Mediterranean appearance for which the Bougainvillea is so loved.
Flower
The three bracts are pressed together at the bottom and have three white tubular flowers in the middle. Each flower has a star-shaped shape, which is formed by five triangular pointed leaves and five double petals. The five triangular pointed leaves are slightly hairy. The Bougainville flowers from June to September.
Three white flowers.
Flower tube.
Star-shaped flower.Flower tube
In the center of the flower the star-shaped white corolla is attached to the flower tube. The female reproductive organs are located in the flower tube, which is narrower in the middle. The pistil with a tapering stigma and the male reproductive organs, the five stamens. The stamens surround the pistil and are longer than the pistil. Close to the bottom of the flower, the stamens have a nodule (thickening) that contains nectar. The green hummingbird in the Netherlands Antilles likes to suck the nectar from the Bougainvillea and if the nectar is too deep, it makes a hole at the bottom of the flower.
Pruning
The plants bloom on the long branches that are formed during one growing season and can be pruned gently after flowering to two eyes of the newly formed branch of the previous year. The branches that are too long can be pruned deeper and usually end in the sleeping eyes. Cutting back the Bougainvillea stimulates new growth in May / June.
Propagate
Propagation can be done by taking cuttings in late spring or early summer. Take a sloping cutting from a non-flowering branch. Place this in a container with cutting soil of around 20 degrees Celsius. Because a Bougainvillea is not easy to propagate, the use of cutting powder is recommended to encourage rooting. Cover with foil, with holes, to keep the humidity constant and after three weeks the cutting will start to root.
Toxic
The Bougainvillea contains sap that is slightly toxic in the stems and thorns. The juice can cause rashes in humans. An allergic reaction such as itchy, stinging, burning or flaky skin can result. The dog can also experience side effects from eating the poisonous parts of the Bougainvillea such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
