(1914-1975) Abbot of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery (1959-1975) March 15, 1975...
In the tropics and subtropics of South America, where bougainvillea grows, the crop can climb to a height of many meters and entwine the walls of houses. Some varieties of this spectacular plant take the form of lushly flowering trees, covered with the thorns of powerful vines or modest shrubs.
In warm climates, the tops of the shoots are covered with flowers almost all year round. True, the corollas of real bougainvillea flowers can only be seen close up, and the multi-colored caps in which the foliage and stems are buried are modified leaves. Bracts vary in color, shape and size. There are two-color varieties, as well as plants in which the color of the bracts changes in intensity or tone over time.
Of the bougainvillea species existing in nature, the most popular among lovers of ornamental plants are beautiful bougainvillea and naked bougainvillea. In addition, there are a lot of interspecific hybrids, as well as cultural forms and varieties of the most amazing colors.
This type of plant is characterized by an incredible growth rate and often looks like a large vine, up to 15 meters high. Like all types of bougainvillea, the leaves of this variety have a heart-shaped, pointed shape. The back side is covered with a small pile, the autumn leaf plates are dense and durable. In the photo of bougainvillea, in addition to leaves and curved thorns, bright bracts are clearly visible. Bougainvillea flowers, opening from April to mid-autumn, are collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the branches. A group of two or three stipules surrounds 1 to 3 true flowers.
This type of bougainvillea, in the photo, is much smaller. Its maximum height is only five meters, which makes it possible to use the plant as an indoor crop. This is facilitated by the fact that the plant tolerates pruning almost painlessly and can be shaped at the owner’s request.
An example of this is the Bougainvillea Sanderiana shown in the photo, an old variety tested by gardeners around the world.
Unlike beautiful bougainvillea, this species has completely smooth leaves, and blooms in spring and early summer. The range of colors is incredibly wide, which is facilitated by active breeding work. It was bougainvillea glabra, cultivated back in 1861, that became the basis for obtaining a great variety of hybrid and varietal plants that today decorate gardens, parks and window sills.
Another variety is bougainvillea Alexandra, ideal for compact indoor compositions and creating original garden sculptures. True, in Russian conditions in open ground this beautiful vine takes root only in the southern regions, since it does not tolerate frosts below -8 °C.
This species is not so often found in ornamental plantings, but bougainvillea, discovered in 1810, became known for its hybrids with other varieties of the plant. Breeders were attracted by the crop's unusual ability to bloom several times a year after a natural or artificial drought.
In nature, plants of this species are extremely reluctant to branch, so bougainvillea, as in the photo, often forms spectacular cascading shoots.
Most modern varieties of bougainvillea are obtained from a hybrid accidentally noticed in the garden. The plant was named after its owner Bougainvillea × buttiana and classified as a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Peruviana.
Varietal bougainvilleas differ strikingly from each other in size, shape and color of bracts.
The simplest, but very effective and popular among gardeners are varieties of bougainvillea with ordinary monochromatic bracts and rich green foliage.
One of the most common varieties, bougainvillea sanderiana pleases the eye with lush purple bracts, lends itself well to shaping and is quite unpretentious at home.
The bougainvillea variety Vera Deep Purple shown in the photo matches it. The plant stands out with dense crimson bracts that densely cover the ends of young shoots. No less impressive is the appearance of the flowers of bougainvillea varieties Glabra Donker and New Violet, which also reveal large violet-purple bracts.
Bougainvillea varieties Cypheri, Australian Pink and Donya are a godsend for the gardener who prefers plants with pink bracts. Moreover, in the latter case, flowering does not stop almost all year round.
The Crimson Lake, Black India Red and Tomato Red bougainvillea varieties shown in the photo are captivating with all shades of red, purple, crimson and burgundy.
The flowering looks unusually sunny against the background of green foliage. b Uganvillea Golden Tango with large yellow bracts and very small true flowers.
The group of bougainvilleas with simple white bracts is represented by the variety Jamaica White, which is distinguished by the abundance and duration of flowering, as well as Mrs Alice and Penelope.
The original variety of bougainvillea Lateritia cannot be ignored thanks to the bright salmon color of the bracts, shimmering in the sun with all shades of orange and pink.
Terry varieties are famous for their particularly dense caps at the ends of the shoots and exceptional decorativeness. Photos of bougainvillea from the Double varietal group, which includes plants with white, salmon, pale pink, purple, red and orange stipules, are always a reason for the admiration and envy of many gardeners.
The bougainvillea variety Double Lilarose has amazingly sensual shades of pink, salmon and lilac combined with a long flowering period and relative unpretentiousness. Also interesting is Boogervillea Double Pink, which differs from the first representative of the group in more delicate tones and a slightly greenish base of the stipules.
The luxurious caps of juicy crimson bracts on Double Red bougainvillea will be a discovery for beginning gardeners and will not leave connoisseurs of this tropical crop indifferent.
Double flowering is not the limit of the possibilities of a unique flower.
Today, lovers of indoor and garden floriculture have at their disposal varieties that fully reveal the ability of the bracts of this plant to change color over time.
The bracts of bougainvillea variety Bois De Roses are orange at first, but gradually change color, becoming deep pink. A similar picture is observed during flowering of the Thai Gold variety. This bougainvillea shown in the photo appears golden-orange in the first days, but as the bracts fade, they become completely blush-pink.
Similar metamorphoses occur with many plant varieties and hybrids. Initially white bracts take on pink tones, red-orange ones become crimson or purple. By skillfully combining specimens with such extraordinary properties, you can turn your garden into something constantly changing, but always beautiful.
Even more surprising are bougainvillea varieties on which two-color bracts appear simultaneously or on different branches their shades differ significantly.
Strawberry Lace is a plant with white and pink stipules that can only be compared to fresh strawberries and cream. On the stipules of bougainvillea Mary Palmer the shades are more delicate and blurred. On a basic white background, strokes of lilac and lavender look very beautiful.
A special place is occupied by varieties that, in addition to bright and sometimes multi-colored bracts, also have two shades combined on the foliage.
Most of these plants are the result of a spontaneous mutation, so offspring can only be obtained from them vegetatively using cuttings and layering.
Bougainvillea San Diego Red Variegata has red bracts that appear even more striking and provocative against the background of light golden-green foliage.
The salmon or golden bracts of Delta Dawn bougainvillea look like real gold against the bluish-green foliage with bright white edges.
In addition to golden or white spots on bougainvillea leaves, you can also see pink tones. An example of this is the beautiful Raspberry Ice variety with carmine bracts and decorative foliage, as if toasted along the edges.
In the tropics and subtropics of South America, where bougainvillea grows, the crop can climb to a height of many meters and entwine the walls of houses. Some varieties of this spectacular plant take the form of lushly flowering trees, covered with the thorns of powerful vines or modest shrubs.
In warm climates, the tops of the shoots are covered with flowers almost all year round. True, the corollas of real bougainvillea flowers can only be seen close up, and the multi-colored caps in which the foliage and stems are buried are modified leaves. Bracts vary in color, shape and size. There are two-color varieties, as well as plants in which the color of the bracts changes in intensity or tone over time.
Of the bougainvillea species existing in nature, the most popular among amateurs are beautiful bougainvillea and naked bougainvillea. In addition, there are a lot of interspecific hybrids, as well as cultural forms and varieties of the most amazing colors.
Bougainvillea spectabilis
This type of plant is characterized by an incredible growth rate and often looks like a large vine, up to 15 meters high. Like all types of bougainvillea, the leaves of this variety have a heart-shaped, pointed shape. The back side is covered with a small pile, the autumn leaf plates are dense and durable. In the photo of bougainvillea, in addition to leaves and curved thorns, bright bracts are clearly visible. Bougainvillea flowers, opening from April to mid-autumn, are collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the branches. A group of two or three stipules surrounds 1 to 3 true flowers.
Bougainvillea glabra
This type of bougainvillea, in the photo, is much smaller. Its maximum height is only five meters, which makes it possible to use the plant as an indoor crop. This is facilitated by the fact that the plant tolerates pruning almost painlessly and can be shaped at the owner’s request.
An example of this is the Bougainvillea Sanderiana shown in the photo, an old variety tested by gardeners around the world.
Unlike beautiful bougainvillea, this species has completely smooth leaves, and blooms in spring and early summer. The range of colors is incredibly wide, which is facilitated by active breeding work. It was bougainvillea glabra, cultivated back in 1861, that became the basis for obtaining a great variety of hybrid and varietal plants that today decorate gardens, parks and window sills.
Another variety is bougainvillea Alexandra, ideal for compact indoor compositions and creating original garden sculptures. True, in Russian conditions in open ground this beautiful vine takes root only in the southern regions, since it does not tolerate frosts below -8 °C.
Peruvian bougainvillea (Bougainvillea peruviana)
This species is not so often found in ornamental plantings, but bougainvillea, discovered in 1810, became known for its hybrids with other varieties of the plant. Breeders were attracted by the crop's unusual ability to bloom several times a year after a natural or artificial drought.
In nature, plants of this species are extremely reluctant to branch, so bougainvillea, as in the photo, often forms spectacular cascading shoots.
Most modern varieties of bougainvillea are obtained from a hybrid accidentally noticed in the garden. The plant was named after its owner Bougainvillea × buttiana and classified as a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Peruviana.
Popular varieties of bougainvillea
Varietal bougainvilleas differ strikingly from each other in size, shape and color of bracts.
The simplest, but very effective and popular among gardeners are varieties of bougainvillea with ordinary monochromatic bracts and rich green foliage.
One of the most common varieties, bougainvillea sanderiana pleases the eye with lush purple bracts, lends itself well to shaping and is quite unpretentious at home.
The bougainvillea variety Vera Deep Purple shown in the photo matches it. The plant stands out with dense crimson bracts that densely cover the ends of young shoots. No less impressive is the appearance of the flowers of bougainvillea varieties Glabra Donker and New Violet, which also reveal large violet-purple bracts.
Bougainvillea varieties Cypheri, Australian Pink and Donya are a godsend for the gardener who prefers plants with pink bracts. Moreover, in the latter case, flowering does not stop almost all year round.
The Crimson Lake, Black India Red and Tomato Red bougainvillea varieties shown in the photo are captivating with all shades of red, purple, crimson and burgundy.
The flowering looks unusually sunny against the background of green foliage. b Uganvillea Golden Tango with large yellow bracts and very small true flowers.
The group of bougainvilleas with simple white bracts is represented by the variety Jamaica White, which is distinguished by the abundance and duration of flowering, as well as Mrs Alice and Penelope.
The original variety of bougainvillea Lateritia cannot be ignored thanks to the bright salmon color of the bracts, shimmering in the sun with all shades of orange and pink.
Terry varieties of bougainvillea
Terry varieties are famous for their particularly dense caps at the ends of the shoots and exceptional decorativeness. Photos of bougainvillea from the Double varietal group, which includes plants with white, salmon, pale pink, purple, red and orange stipules, are always a reason for the admiration and envy of many gardeners.
The bougainvillea variety Double Lilarose has amazingly sensual shades of pink, salmon and lilac combined with a long flowering period and relative unpretentiousness. Also interesting is Boogervillea Double Pink, which differs from the first representative of the group in more delicate tones and a slightly greenish base of the stipules.
The luxurious caps of juicy crimson bracts on Double Red bougainvillea will be a discovery for beginning gardeners and will not leave connoisseurs of this tropical crop indifferent.
Double flowering is not the limit of the possibilities of a unique flower.
Photo of bougainvillea with colorful bracts
Today, lovers of indoor and garden floriculture have at their disposal varieties that fully reveal the ability of the bracts of this plant to change color over time.
The bracts of bougainvillea variety Bois De Roses are orange at first, but gradually change color, becoming deep pink. A similar picture is observed during flowering of the Thai Gold variety. This bougainvillea shown in the photo appears golden-orange in the first days, but as the bracts fade, they become completely blush-pink.
Similar metamorphoses occur with many plant varieties and hybrids. Initially white bracts take on pink tones, red-orange ones become crimson or purple. By skillfully combining specimens with such extraordinary properties, you can turn your garden into something constantly changing, but always beautiful.
Even more surprising are bougainvillea varieties on which two-color bracts appear simultaneously or on different branches their shades differ significantly.
Strawberry Lace is a plant with white and pink stipules that can only be compared to fresh strawberries and cream. On the stipules of bougainvillea Mary Palmer the shades are more delicate and blurred. On a basic white background, strokes of lilac and lavender look very beautiful.
Variegated varieties of bougainvillea
A special place is occupied by varieties that, in addition to bright and sometimes multi-colored bracts, also have two shades combined on the foliage.
Most of these plants are the result of a spontaneous mutation, so offspring can only be obtained from them vegetatively using cuttings and layering.
Bougainvillea San Diego Red Variegata has red bracts that appear even more striking and provocative against the background of light golden-green foliage.
The salmon or golden bracts of Delta Dawn bougainvillea look like real gold against the bluish-green foliage with bright white edges.
In addition to golden or white spots on bougainvillea leaves, you can also see pink tones. An example of this is the beautiful Raspberry Ice variety with carmine bracts and decorative foliage, as if toasted along the edges.
- an unusually attractive plant native to Brazil. People like to decorate gazebos, apartments, and greenhouses with this plant. It is powerful, evergreen, with thorns on the vines. Reproduction occurs only by cuttings, and with proper care, bougainvillea rewards with abundant flowering.
Did you know? It can mutate, creating different types of plants without producing seeds.
In this article we will look at what bougainvillea is and highlight the most popular varieties and varieties.
Bougainvillea spectabilis
The remarkable bougainvillea gained popularity back in the 19th century; it was found on rocky slopes in the tropical regions of Brazil. However, in southern countries this plant was used as decoration for gazebos and greenhouses. This type of bougainvillea has large bracts and velvety leaves that turn pale when flowering.
Did you know?The plant grows unusually quickly and can reach up to 15 meters in height.
Bougainvillea remarkable has fairly durable, pointed, heart-shaped leaves, slightly covered with hair on the back side. Remarkable bougainvillea has beautiful flowers; in this variety, at the ends of the branches they are collected in inflorescences, which open from April to mid-autumn. Flowers are up to 5 cm long. Around the flowers there are usually up to three bracts of pink, purple or red hue. Every year the color of the stipule fades. The perianth is tube-shaped, yellow-green in color. The shoots of the plant are covered with thorns and can reach up to 9 meters.
Bougainvillea glabra
Bougainvillea naked can grow up to 5 meters, unlike bougainvillea remarkable, so most often this plant is used as a houseplant. It tolerates pruning painlessly, so you can shape the bush as you please. Bougainvillea glabra blooms from spring to early summer. Thanks to breeding work, the plant has a wide palette of colors.
Did you know?It was this type of bougainvillea that became the basis for the creation of hybrid varieties.
Its stem is branched, bare, and sometimes has thorns. The leaves are bare, glossy, oval with a sharp end, up to 15 cm long, dark green. The bracts are pink, white, orange, yellow or purple. Blooms thickly and for a long time. Bougainvillea naked grows at an average pace and is quite often used for bonsai.
Peruvian bougainvillea (Bougainvillea peruviana)
Bougainvillea peruviana was discovered by Alexander von Humboldt of Germany in 1810. The leaves are long, thin, without pubescence, and have a pronounced ovoid shape. Unlike other varieties, the plant has green bark on the branches. The shoots have short and straight thorns. Bougainvillea Peruviana flowers in yellow shades. The bracts are purple or pink, round in shape, and have a leathery surface. Flowers are usually arranged singly, or in a group of up to 3 units.
Did you know?Bougainvillea peruviana blooms a couple of times a year, while other species bloom only once.
This species grows quite vigorously, while being slightly bushy.
Every year more and more forms of bougainvillea appear, obtained through selection. At exhibitions this plant is presented in new decorative forms and colors. The most common hybrid species was obtained by crossing Peruvian bougainvillea and beautiful. The resulting species has leaves that are quite large, emerald in color, and ovoid in shape. The branches have strong, straight thorns. 
When the bracts bloom, they are copper-red in color, and as they age, they change color to pink or purple. The flowers of this plant are in cream shades. Another, no less common hybrid species of plant was obtained by crossing bougainvillea glabra and Peruvian. The leaves are dark green and ovoid in shape. Small white flowers are located on the stems of evergreen vines. The flowers are in clusters surrounded by three thin bracts of bright pink color.
Bougainvillea varieties
Today there are a large number of bougainvillea varieties that are intended for home cultivation. They differ in color, size of bracts, shape. There are oval, triangular, double and non-double varieties of bougainvillea.
The most popular varieties:
- glabra "Sanderiana" - the plant blooms profusely and has purple bracts;
- glabra "Cypheri" - pink bracts;
- "Maud Chettleburgh" - purple-pink bracts;
- "Tomato Red" - rather large, non-double bracts of red color;
- "Double Red" - double, red bracts; and many others.
Terry varieties of bougainvillea have very beautiful shades of flowers. So, for example, the variety “Double Pink” has transitions in pink colors; "Double Lilarose" has lilac and dark pink shades; "Lateritia" has delicate shades of pink and salmon, they bloom for a long time and are easy to care for. In the "Surprise" variety, thanks to a bud mutation, there are branches whose bract colors differ from the branches of the mother plant. Pink bracts, at the same time, can be marbled white and pink. Propagation of such varieties can only be carried out vegetatively. Terry varieties of bougainvillea are distinguished by their rather dense caps, which are located at the ends of the shoots.
Variegated varieties of bougainvillea
Variegated varieties of bougainvillea can be obtained vegetatively through layering and cuttings. Branches, thorns, leaves, veins - everything is green. The colors of the bracts are quite varied; they can be either multi-colored or monochromatic. The 'Raspberry Ice' variety has a cream stripe at the ends of its leaves. 'San Diego Red Variegata' has golden-green leaves and red bracts. The 'Delta Dawn' variety has bluish-green leaves with white edges and golden and salmon-colored bracts. On the leaves of variegated bougainvillea varieties you can often see pink spots, not just white or gold.
Bougainvillea is a southern beauty that is often used to decorate the garden or liven up both home and office interiors. Since during its delightful flowering it can change even the gloomiest interior of a room for the better. After all, her charm and brightness with inspired romance will not leave anyone indifferent.
Bougainvillea is an evergreen climbing plant native to South America. There, growing in nature, it reaches 15 meters. It can be used to decorate any surface, as young shoots have good flexibility. The flower begins to bloom in April and blooms until the end of September. Its leaves are dense and pubescent, reaching 12 cm in length. Caring for a flower is not particularly difficult.
This name was given to the flower in honor of the French traveler Louis Antoine de Bougainville. After all, he brought this plant to Europe on a ship. At home, it sometimes looks like a bush with creeping branches. Perianths of different shades add decorative properties to this graceful shrub. read here.
Bougainvillea varieties
- Bau De Rose- has large bracts, they are orange at first, and towards the end they turn into crimson.
- Donye– during the entire dissolution period it has a delicate pink color.
- California gold– the bracts are yellow at the beginning of dissolution and then fade greatly.
- Double Beauty– bracts are small, double, crimson in color and do not change their shade. The flower is simply covered with flowers.
- White Jamaica– white voluminous bracts do not change until the end of flowering.
- Glabra- with lilac-violet bracts.
- Mrs. Butt Compact– at the beginning of the dissolution of a coral shade and bright crimson at the end. Large bracts. Abundant flowering all summer.
- Pink Singapore– with elongated purple bracts.
Bougainvillea growing and care at home
Lighting and temperature
The shrub prefers enhanced light conditions. It is necessary that the sun's rays fall on it, because without them hitting the flower there will be no flowering time. In the summer, when the plant is actively developing and blooming, it needs a fairly high temperature of up to 28 degrees Celsius.
In winter, during the dormant period, bougainvillea is kept at a low temperature of about 13 degrees. If you do not observe these temperature changes, the flower will not develop well in the summer and bloom. Since this is a southern plant, it is useful to take it outside, to the south side of the house or to the balcony of a house located on the south side. In winter, it can safely be placed on any windows, as long as the winter temperature regime is maintained.
The plant also does not like frequent rearrangements - after all, if the new conditions do not seem comfortable enough for it, it will shed not only the flowers, but also the entire vegetative mass. But as soon as it is returned to the conditions under which it felt good, it will again grow all the greenness of its leaves.
The soil
A very important point for the plant is the composition of the soil. It should be the same as in the native places where bougainvillea grows. Therefore, the soil in the pot must be nutritious.
Top dressing
The flower loves feeding with mineral fertilizers. During growth, it is fertilized once every 7 days with complete mineral fertilizer. But here you also need to take into account the real parameters of the bush. If it has reached a large size and lives in a small pot, then it is fed once every three days.
In winter, fertilizing bougainvillea is stopped altogether, so that the branches, with excessive growth and low light, do not turn into long lashes without leaves.
Planting and replanting
This beautiful flower prefers flower pots shaped like a bucket, that is, the pots should be deep. Plants are planted in the spring when the moon is waxing. There is no special technology, but it is not worth deepening the root neck.
After you have poured some of the soil into the pot around the plant, you need to tap the pot a little with your hands to fill the voids in the pot. The fewer voids there are, the better the plant will take root. After planting, the soil around is pressed down and the plant is watered.
She rarely gets sick after a transplant and adapts remarkably well to her new place. Young plants are replanted once a year, old ones as the pot fills with roots. After this, a pot is purchased that is 5 cm larger in diameter than the previous pot and the bougainvillea is replanted in spring to enlarge the pot.
At an older age, replanting is done with caution, because for an adult plant it is stressful, it can even shed its leaves. Therefore, it is up to the gardener to decide whether to transplant or not. But we can say that a small pot allows the flower to develop normally and bloom luxuriantly.
And an increase in volume gives a large increase in vegetative mass, and the flower quickly increases in size. Therefore, it is better to replant an adult plant by transferring it into a larger pot. This method of transplantation when the earthen ball is not disturbed.
But it should be noted that after increasing the volume of the pot, the plant will not bloom for some time until the roots again fill all the new soil that has fallen into the container.
Watering
The plant requires regular watering during its growth period; it cannot tolerate dry soil. Watering is done when the top layer of soil dries. Do not forget to remove the remaining water from the pan. In summer, water twice a week depending on weather conditions. In winter, watering must be done carefully so as not to flood the plant. After all, the lower the temperature, the less often watering occurs. Therefore, in winter, bougainvillea is watered once every two weeks.
In summer, he prefers spraying from a spray bottle and sprinkling from the shower with warm water. In the winter season, the air is very dry due to heating, and the spraying does not stop.
Branch support
Since the branches of this beautiful plant grow to a considerable length, over time they will need support. The support can be selected in stores according to your taste - it can be bamboo, or it can be made of wire.
Trimming
This must be done for the beautiful formation of shrub vines. Pruning branches leads to the formation of side shoots, and the main branches can grow up to four meters if they are not shortened. Pruning is carried out twice a year in the fall after flowering and in the spring. In the spring you can let the cuttings take root.
Green branches are cut to half their length. All these actions lead to an increase in the decorativeness of the bush. In the summer, you need to remove those branches that have already faded, and then new bracts will form on the young branches that appear and the flowering period will increase. Branches that have not been pruned for four years already, since young shoots are no longer formed on them.
You may notice that if a gardener has two or three varieties of plants, then taken after pruning, different varieties of bougainvillea and planted in one pot, they will look beautiful after intertwining their branches.
Pests and diseases
Many people notice that during the active growth of the vegetative mass, the plant suddenly stopped growing and began to shed its beautiful leaves. There seems to be no apparent reason, but bougainvillea really does not like drafts and therefore it must be placed in the apartment so that when the windows are opened, no air flow hits it.
Another sign of a plant not flowering may be unregulated watering of the plant. After all, if there is insufficient watering, it begins to actively shed leaves, and if there is excess moisture, it does not bloom. If the soil is waterlogged for a long time, the flower may die due to rotting of the root system.
Among the pests it likes are mealybugs, spider mites and aphids. If these pests are found on a flower, it must be set aside from other plants and treated with chemicals according to the instructions on the package.
Bougainvillea propagation
By cuttings
Bougainvillea, like, reproduces well by cuttings. To do this, green cuttings are cut at the end of spring, and the lower sections are treated with any root growth stimulator. The lower leaves should be torn off. The cuttings are planted in small containers with a pre-prepared earthen mixture consisting of:
- sand;
- peat
These parts are taken in equal proportions. The cuttings are buried in the ground up to the second internode, lightly pressed and watered with a small amount of water. After this, the containers are placed in the greenhouse or you can cover each planted cutting with a glass jar of suitable size, under which the microclimate of the greenhouse will be established after a short period of time.
But the room where bougainvillea cuttings are propagated must be at least 22 degrees Celsius. At the same time, we must not forget to ventilate the greenhouse or raise the base of the jars to avoid molding of any parts of the cuttings. After 35 days, roots will appear on the cuttings.
Air layering
This is a very good breeding method. A planting box with prepared loose nutrient soil is placed nearby and a non-woody branch is lowered into it. In places of contact with the ground, it is slightly damaged and pinned to the ground with wire so that the branch is not constantly in motion. After rooting, the young bushes are simply cut off from the mother bush.
Bougainvillea is admired by gardeners for its colorful bracts that resemble paper flowers. This exotic liana has a reputation as a capricious house plant that does not tolerate apartment conditions well. But if you provide it with excellent care and attention, bougainvillea will thank its owners with lush and bright flowering.
Liana from the Nocturnal family
Bougainvillea is a genus of plants belonging to the Nectaginaceae (Night-flowered) family. In nature, the flower is found in the tropical rainforests of South America, in particular Brazil. These are beautifully flowering climbing vines with clinging thorns, although some types of bougainvillea do not have thorns. The plant is quite large: it can grow up to 15 m in height. The leaf blades, dense and pubescent, are located alternately on the flexible shoot. They reach 13 cm in length.
The plant is popular due to its lush and long flowering. The liana is covered with small flowers, collected in several pieces. Bougainvillea flowers themselves are inconspicuous, and their brightness is given by bracts, painted in various shades of pink, lilac, violet, red, orange, yellow, white.
Bracts are not flowers, they are modified leaves.
In indoor conditions, bougainvillea is grown as a low shrub or hanging plant. With the help of special supports, the vine can be given any shape, for example, a pyramid, a wreath or a sphere..
Bougainvillea is considered a capricious plant that grows very poorly “in captivity” and feels better in a greenhouse or winter garden, where all the conditions for a tropical plant are created. But if you find the brightest and warmest place for it, and also provide the necessary care, then it is quite possible to grow bougainvillea and make it bloom in the room.
Bougainvillea was discovered by naturalist and collector of rare exotic plants Philibert Commerson, who gave it a sonorous name in honor of his comrade Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the first Frenchman to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Types of domestic bougainvillea
There are about 15 species of bougainvillea. However, out of all the variety, only a few are grown at home:
- Bougainvillea is beautiful or wonderful. This is the most popular type in indoor floriculture. The plant has velvety leaves and large bracts that turn pale as they bloom.
- A distinctive feature of the species are very spectacular purple bracts.
- This is the most stable species, capable of very long flowering.
- Bougainvillea Butte. This is a hybrid of Peruvian bougainvillea and naked bougainvillea, which became the ancestor of most modern varieties. In nature, the shoots of this plant branch reluctantly, but Bougainvillea Butte forms very spectacular stems that cascade.
Here are the popular hybrid varieties:
- Bougainvillea Sanderiana. The bracts are bright purple. It can bloom several times a year and is quite easy to care for.
- Bougainvillea Vera Deep Purple. Differs from other varieties by bright crimson bracts.
- Bougainvillea Crimson Lake. The flower captivates with its gorgeous bracts, painted in all sorts of shades of purple, burgundy and red.
- Bougainvillea Golden Tango. A distinctive feature of the variety are yellow bracts with tiny flowers.
- Bougainvillea lateritia. The variety cannot be ignored, because its bright bracts have an unusual salmon color.
- Varieties with double bracts. Among them are modern hybrids:
- Strawberry Lace (with pink and white double bracts);
- Bois De Roses (at the beginning of flowering, the bougainvillea bracts of this variety are bright orange in color, and then they turn pink);
- Double Lilarose is distinguished by luxurious bracts, the palette of which includes all shades of pink, lilac or salmon.
- Variegated (variegated) varieties. Modern hybridizers have produced plants that delight not only with their flowering, but also with spectacular coloring of leaf blades, and bright bracts against the background of unusual foliage seem even more expressive. Among the variegated varieties we can note:
- San Diego Red Variegata;
- Delta Dawn.
Often, several plants with different colored bracts are planted in one container to create an interesting composition.
Photo gallery: bougainvillea with regular and double bracts of different colors
Bougainvillea beautiful has large bracts. Bougainvillea Peruviana produces few side shoots. Bougainvillea naked has lilac bracts. Bougainvillea variety Vera Deep Purpl is distinguished by bright crimson bracts. Bougainvillea Lateritia bracts are salmon-colored. A distinctive feature of bougainvillea variety Golden tango is yellow bracts with tiny flowers. Bougainvillea Sanderiana bracts are colored in purple The bougainvillea bracts Strawberry Lace amaze with their variegated color The bougainvillea variety Double Lilarose is distinguished by luxurious bracts of all shades of pink The bougainvillea variety San Diego Red Variegata has foliage with white and green streaks
Table: conditions required for vines depending on the season
| Season | Lighting | Humidity | Temperature |
| Spring Summer | Sunny place: the flower tolerates direct sunlight well, so you can place it on a south-facing window. | High humidity is required, for this you need to spray bougainvillea daily. | From +22 to +28 degrees |
| Autumn winter | A shaded place, the vine should be moved to a window facing the west side. |
| Not higher than +13 degrees and not lower than +8 degrees |
The nuances of transplantation
Soil mixture
The land for planting bougainvillea must be fertile. The soil can be made independently from leaf soil, peat and sand in equal parts. The substrate should be light, loose, and permeable.
To plant bougainvillea, you can purchase a ready-made universal substrate and add a little clean river sand to it.
Pot
The volume of the pot must correspond to the size of the root system. For subsequent transplants, choose it two centimeters larger than the previous one. Please note that bougainvillea blooms less profusely in a spacious flower pot than in a cramped one..
Carrying out transhipment
Bougainvillea should not be disturbed too often; it is enough to replant young plants every two years, and adult plants - after five years.
When buying bougainvillea in a store, it must be transferred to nutritious soil. This should be done two weeks after purchase (this time is necessary for the flower to adapt to indoor conditions). The plant cannot be replanted during flowering; it may shed all its leaves and bracts. Wait until flowering ends.
Proper care for a tropical beauty
Watering and fertilizing
From early spring (from the beginning of the active growing season) until the end of August, bougainvillea should be watered frequently, but moderately. Each subsequent watering should be done after the top layer of the substrate in the container with the plant has dried. In autumn and winter (during hibernation), watering should be significantly reduced and the plant should be moistened once a week, while the volume of water for irrigation should be halved. After such stress, the plant will bloom very profusely.
This plant is very demanding of moisture, so watering alone will not be enough. Bougainvillea should be regularly sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle. But during the flowering period, be careful, droplets of water should not fall on the bracts.
There is no need to keep bougainvillea on dry rations. In spring and summer it requires frequent feeding. Fertilize every two weeks. In the spring, fertilize with organic matter; to do this, dilute an infusion of bird droppings or mullein in a concentration of 1:30. Apply the solution after watering to avoid burning the roots. At the end of spring, fertilize with complex fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. Fertilizing preparations are sold in a convenient form; you just need to dilute them according to the instructions and water the plant.
What to do to speed up flowering time
Bougainvillea usually blooms in late spring, with the onset of sunny days. This process can be accelerated by providing the plant with good lighting. Fluorescent lamps are suitable for this purpose and should be placed at a distance of 30 cm from the plant. Another condition for flowering is a dormant period. After resting, the vine becomes covered with buds and blooms for a long time.
As a rule, bougainvillea blooms once a year, but it can be forced to do so repeatedly. To get a second wave of flowering, the plant needs to do the following:
- After the bougainvillea has finished blooming, cut off the shoots by one third.
- Place the pot in a semi-shaded place.
- Reduce watering.
- After a month, move the flower to a sunny place and resume watering as usual.
After stress, your beauty will bloom again, but the size of the bracts will be smaller than during the first flowering.
Dormant period - the vine sheds its leaves
With the onset of autumn, bougainvillea begins a dormant period. A sign of this is the dropping of leaves. During the period of “hibernation,” the flower needs to create certain conditions, which is quite difficult to do in city apartments.
In the fall, you need to completely stop fertilizing and reduce the frequency and volume of watering. The most important thing is to provide the plant with the necessary temperature in winter. The optimal option is from 8 to 10 degrees. At temperatures below eight degrees the flower will begin to freeze, and at +13 it will begin to grow and the plant will weaken.
Pruning and crown formation
Bougainvillea blooms on young shoots, so it needs to be pruned after each flowering. This will not only stimulate flowering, but will also form a lush bush.
By pruning you can give bougainvillea any shape. The crown can be round on a trunk or in the form of a pyramid or sphere. Cardinal pruning is done twice a year: in early spring and after flowering.. In other periods, you can slightly adjust the shape of the bush by pinching it.
When forming an ampelous form, the shoots are allowed to grow without cutting off the apical bud. All side branches should be trimmed periodically.
Why do leaves turn black or pale and other difficulties arise?
First of all, problems with bougainvillea become the result of violations in care.
Brown spots on leaves and other consequences of improper care - table
| Problem | Possible reason | How to fix the situation |
| Dry brown spots on leaf blades | The plant got sunburn |
|
| The leaves turn pale, the flower drops them | Lack of iron - chlorosis | Feed and/or spray the plant with iron-containing fertilizers, for example, iron chlorosis (one application is enough). |
| Leaf blades turn black | Excessive watering |
|
| Too hot and dry indoors |
|
| Stunting | The soil in the pot is too dense or has poor drainage | Replant the flower in light, fertile soil. Place expanded clay in a layer of 2–3 cm at the bottom of the container. |
Under good maintenance conditions and with the correct watering regime, bougainvillea is practically not affected by pests and diseases, but with excessive moisture or dryness it can be bothered by shield aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, and the plant can also suffer from mildew or root rot.
How to treat bougainvillea for fungal diseases and pests - table
| Diseases and pests | Signs | Reason for appearance | Treatment and prevention measures |
| Root rot |
| Cold indoor air due to too much watering |
|
| Mildew | A dangerous fungal disease in which white spots appear on the leaf blades. | The room is too humid |
|
| Mealybug | Cotton-like balls of a dirty white hue appear on the leaves. | The room is too humid |
|
| Spider mite |
| Dry indoor air | Treatment with Actellik solution (according to the instructions) helps to get rid of the insect; spraying with the drug must be repeated three times every five to seven days. |
| Shield aphid |
| Insufficiently humid air |
|
In addition to fungal diseases, there are also bacterial diseases of indoor plants. Their source can be poor-quality soil, as well as other flowers. The likelihood of infection is highest for bougainvillea, which is weakened by improper care. Bactericides are used for treatment.
Bougainvillea propagation
This vine reproduces quite easily. This can be done with aerial green layering or cuttings that have reached a certain degree of maturity. The most suitable period for breeding is May - July.
How to root stem cuttings
Procedure:
Master class on propagation by air layering
- Select a well-developed but not yet lignified shoot on the plant.
- Make small cuts on it.
- Press these places tightly to the ground and secure with wire or a hairpin.
- Moisten the soil as usual. In two to three weeks, roots will appear on the cuttings.
- When it is well rooted, separate the new plant from the mother bush and plant it in a permanent place.
How to grow indoor bougainvillea from seeds
Growing bougainvillea from seeds is interesting, but it is a long process. In addition, the varietal qualities of the plant are not transmitted through this propagation method. As a result, you can get a plant with a completely different color of bracts..
- Soak bougainvillea seeds in Epin (growth stimulant) solution for 2–3 hours.
- Place them on the surface of the soil, press lightly and moisten them with a spray bottle.
- Cover the bowl with the seeds with a transparent bag and place it on the radiator.
- Moisten the plantings daily, ventilate the greenhouse and wipe off any condensation that accumulates on the bag. Be patient, shoots will appear only after 2–3 months.
- As soon as the first true leaves appear, the bag can be removed and the seedlings can be cared for as usual.
- About six months after planting the seeds, the plants can be transplanted into separate pots.
