🌺 Red Bougainvillea Plant Description
Scientific Name: Bougainvillea glabra or Bougainvillea spectabilis
Common Name: Red Bougainvillea
Family: Nyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)
🌿 Plant Characteristics:
Growth Habit: Woody, evergreen or semi-evergreen vine or shrub. It can climb, trail, or be trained as a tree or hedge.
Height/Spread: Can grow 15–40 feet (4–12 meters) long as a climber; smaller varieties can be kept compact.
Leaves: Ovate, slightly hairy, medium green, and alternate along the stems.
Flowers: The actual flowers are small, white, and tubular — surrounded by large, papery red bracts (the colored parts most people mistake for petals).
Blooming Season: Heaviest blooms in spring and fall, with some flowering year-round in warm climates.
🌞 Growing Conditions:
Sunlight: Requires full sun (at least 6 hours daily) for best flowering.
Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic soil; tolerates poor soil as long as drainage is good.
Watering: Drought-tolerant once established; prefers deep but infrequent watering. Overwatering reduces blooms.
Hardiness Zones: USDA zones 9–11; can be grown in containers and overwintered indoors in colder climates.