Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.

Woody vine, armed, high-climbing, or tree to 12 m; branches flexuous, greyish or reddish-brown, usually copiously fulvous-villous, sometimes glabrate; spines to 4 cm long, stout, straight or curved. Leaves petiolate; blade broadly ovate to suborbicular or rounded-ovate, 5-10 x 2.5-6.5 cm, abruptly acute or acuminate at apex, rounded to acutish at base and often short-decurrent, sparsely short-villous above, often glabrate in age, usually densely villous beneath. Pseudanthia 3-flowered, peduncle 6-17 mm long, slender; bracts pink or purplish-red, ovate or broadly ovate, 2-5 x 1.7-3.1 cm, abruptly acute or acuminate or sometimes obtuse at apex, subcordate at base, sparsely puberulent or short-villous. Perianth 1.5-3 cm long, tube green, densely short-pubescent with spreading, straight, to 1 mm long hairs, lower part veined but not prominently angled below, limb 6-7 mm wide, lobes ovate-triangular, subobtuse, yellowish above; stamens 7-10, often 8. Anthocarp oblong-ellipsoid, 11-14 x 5 mm, 5-ribbed, greyish-green, densely short-villous.

A tropical plant. It does best with sunlight and warmth. It is best with a night temperature of 18-20°C and a day temperature of 24-32°C. It cannot stand frost. It is best in a fertile, well drained soil. It cannot stand waterlogging. It suits slightly acidic soils of pH 5.5-6.

The flower bracts are used in salads and for a drink. CAUTION The correct type of bougainvillea must be used.

Plants can be grown from cuttings. They can also be grown by air-layering. It can be grown as a hedge.