🌺 Purple Bougainvillea Plant Description
Scientific Name: Bougainvillea glabra (commonly purple varieties), or Bougainvillea spectabilis
Common Name: Purple Bougainvillea
Family: Nyctaginaceae
🌿 Plant Characteristics:
Growth Habit: Fast-growing, woody vine or sprawling shrub; evergreen in warm climates and semi-deciduous in cooler ones.
Height/Spread: Can grow 15–40 feet (4.5–12 meters) long as a climber; can also be pruned into a bush or tree form.
Leaves: Oval to elliptical, pointed, slightly hairy, and green to deep green in color.
Flowers: True flowers are tiny, white, and tubular, surrounded by large, vibrant purple papery bracts — these bracts give the plant its signature color.
Blooming Season: Peak blooming in spring and summer, but can flower almost year-round in tropical/subtropical climates.
🌞 Growing Conditions:
Sunlight: Needs full sun (6–8 hours per day) for abundant blooming.
Soil: Prefers well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral soil.
Watering: Drought-tolerant once mature; water deeply but infrequently. Avoid overwatering.
Hardiness Zones: USDA zones 9–11; can be grown in containers in colder areas and overwintered indoors.
🌼 Uses and Benefits:
Ornamental Use: Perfect for covering fences, walls, pergolas, arbors, or used as groundcover or in hanging baskets.
Aesthetic Appeal: Its bold purple color adds vibrant contrast in tropical or Mediterranean gardens.
Low Maintenance: Very hardy in suitable climates; responds well to pruning and shaping.
Pollinator Friendly: Attracts butterflies and other pollinators.