My first Bougainvillea.
I wanted to have a hybrid which have less or no thorns and have a cascading effect. I got it from a nursery about RM10. I considered it a good bargain as planting them using branch cuttings seemed furtile.
So I wanted to experiment it and see what are the character of this plant.
Im not so much a lover of bougainvillea.
Somehow this varigated leaves gives me an attractive view for coloured leaves incomparison to the purple queens below.
I recommend to buy those with varigated coloured leaves,
so when they do not flower - you can atleast be content with those coloured leaves
especially those that create a nice colour feature of opposite colours.
So far from Google, I have identified 3 main species:
1) Great Bougainvillea - Bougainvillea spectabilis
main characteristics - hairy.
2) Lesser Bougainvillea - Bougainvillea glabra
has a cascading effect & hairless
3) Bougainvillea peruviana - has a branching habit that is looser and more open.
This is a climbing, spiny, spreading shrub with greenish bark
Top (after stripping off the leaves - soft pruning)
Below (after few weeks - new small shoots appear making the branch dense looking)
I took this picture near a supermarket. Looks like the same breed of what I had planted in my house. I guess this has the same type of flower of which I had bought.
The flowers didn't do well as they had fallen off within a week.
I guess they don't do well in a new changed enviorment.
Prefers best in bright full sun, requires less water to induce flowering.
Cannot stand in water as it will rot the root.
This is a woody type bougainvillea planted in my mum's hse.
She planned to pass this to me to clear her messy garden.
My problem is, I really don't know where else to place anymore plants in my crowded small little garden.
I had taken this pic. near my working area.
It has a bright white coloured flowers.
(looks very bright in the sun - sort of shining when this was taken)
I had seen this growing along the roadsides and are constantly pruned as not to outgrow towards the roadside.
This was from an housing area. I always enjoy this type.
It has a clump bunched flower unlike the other cultivars.
And it also have 2 tone in the flowers (magenta and red)
It is great to do press flowers using these as the do not loose their colour and their bracts do not hold moisture. I guess thats why they are called paper flowers (felt like paper)
There are other information about bougainvillea,
refer to this webpage for more specific details:
2 comments:
Nice variengated leaves. I found that while in flower, it's better to water the bougainvillea more not allowing the soil to dry out. when the soil starts to dry out the colorful brackets start to fade. I have bougainvillea blooms up to a month and maybe a little more. When not in flower I don't water them as much I even let the soil dry out and the leaves wilt for 2 days or so. Pruning is great way to get more flower brackets. This is from my little experience.Also sunlight is important.
There are sunny days in Malaysia.. right?! It's perfect environment for tropical plants!!
Ibrahim, Qatar
Thanks Ibrahim for your tip & dropping by.
The problem with my garden area is that its on a hill and a shaded area. So, I have to manage with plants that may able to handle & thrive in that kind of enviornment.
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