Bougainvillea is one of the most popular climbing plants in warmer countries. The plant has its original home in South America and was discovered in the 19th century during an expedition by the French sailor Louis Antoine Comte de Bougainville and later introduced to Europe. They are still called Bougainville, Bougainvillee, Bougainvillie or Triplet Flower. The triplet flowers are beautiful and striking exotic plants due to their lush bracts. They like warmth, so they can preferably be planted in pots in countries where temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius in the cold months.
With bougainvillea you can create a real southern paradiseon the terracedesign. It is easy to care for and, with its fast-growing and bright flowers, is very popular as a climbing plant in Mediterranean countries. They can often be seen on fences and facades of houses.
The triplet flower is very beautiful as a container plant. Unfortunately it is not frost resistant. It is very important that it overwinteres properly. It must be placed in a cool but not too dark room. Don't worry if the bougainvillea leaves fall out in the winter - they will grow again in the spring. In Germany the predominant species is Bougainvillea glabra, which is also the most resistant species. It is actually the only species that is offered as a container plant. It tolerates cooler temperatures and blooms in purple.
Some types of bougainvillea, such as Bougainvillea spectabilis, grow up to 6 meters tall. The species differ in colors and flower shape. Whether white, purple, pink or red – the bougainvillea always attracts attention.
The bougainvillea grows pretty quickly on yousunny location. It forms long tendrils and therefore needs trellises for support. After heavy rain showers, the leaves could fall out quickly. The perfect place is where the plant stays protected from the rain and at the same time gets plenty of sunlight.
The plant does not need to be overwatered, but if it receives too little water, not only the green leaves but also the colorful bracts will fall out. It is best if the roots are only slightly moist. This stimulates the growth process of the bracts.
To obtain many bracts with beautiful shapes and colors, the plant needs to be fertilized once a week. Don't forget to prune legally. This is particularly important after the winter and can give the bougainvillea new growth energy.
You can use this to create a beautiful Mediterranean garden. You can direct the plant's growth so that the plant forms a desired shape.
As already mentioned, the flower grows very quickly in good conditions. It can quickly climb the fence and use its long tendrils to form a thick privacy screen.
With a little more cutting and effort, the plant can transform into a beautiful hedge. You can create a flowering wall at the desired height using some species that grow like a bush.
The triplet flower is easy to plant with other types of flowers and shrubs. This creates beautiful colorful compositions, as shown in the picture, in which the bougainvillea is combined with geranium.
The different types can of course also be combined with each other. Bougainvillea can have white, pink, purple, red, orange or yellow bracts. So you can add greenery to the facade with climbing plants in different colors.
Propagation is done through cuttings, which unfortunately are sometimes not very easy to root. In order for the process to be successful, you can use rooting hormones (indolyl butyric acid). The herbaceous cuttings are usually rooted more easily than these, which are woodier.
The pergola, like other garden elements that offer sun protection, is an invention from southern countries. With bougainvillea climbing plants on the pergola, you can always enjoy dense shade in the garden.
Magnificent bouquets of flowers or table decorations come from the bracts. Wedding decorations always look chic and fresh, as the bright colors of the plant contrast beautifully with the traditional white color for a wedding.
When it comes to wedding decorations, you can't go wrong if you also decorate the wedding arch with bougainvillea bracts. Exotic plants like the triplet flowers always attract attention and are therefore the perfect choice if you want to create the perfect backdrop for the Mediterranean-style wedding party.
If you have little space in the garden or at home and still want to enjoy the beauty of the triplet flower, then the bonsai bougainvillea would be a good solution for you. The care that the Bougainvillea bonsai requires is the same as a conventional plant.
