Bougainvillea

One of the prettiest and most versatile plant here at Alamo Rose is the bougainvillea.  We see them in NY nurseries during the summer usually as hanging baskets. That's because most bougainvillea can't survive temperatures below freezing. Either we New Yorkers have to winter our bougainvillea inside, or buy them new each spring. Needless to say, in NY bougainvillea are usually relatively small plants.

Bougainvillea bushes line the shuffleboard courts.

This is a bougainvillea tree.

Not so here in southern Texas.  The bougainvillea here can grow to be very large plants.  They can be shaped as bushes, shrubs, and even trees. Bougainvillea is a native plant of Brazil. They boast many colors - purple, magenta, red, orange, yellow and white. Bougainvillea color is not blossoms, but bracts or leaves, which surround 2 or 3 tiny yellow blossoms. Most bougainvillea have woody vines that can climb most anything with their sharp thorns.  In a warm arid climate like southern Texas, the bougainvillea is a vigorous grower.  It takes little care and can be pruned and trained to many shapes.  The residents of Alamo Rose use this beautiful plant a lot to add color to their hot arid landscape.

Bougainvillea pruned to form a hedge.

Pink bougainvillea leaves (bracts) surround the tiny yellow blossom.