It’s not the flowers that make this plant so colorful, it’s actually the magenta bracts. The actual flowers of the plant are just three tiny and white tubular blooms surrounded by three or six bracts.
These paper-like bracts (modified or specialized leaf) can come in different shades including white, red, yellow, pink, orange, purple and salmon.
The Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny, flowering plants native to South America. It was named after French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who discovered the vine in Brazil in 1768 together with French Botanist Philibert Commercon, during their voyage to the Pacific Ocean.
The vine species grow anywhere from 1-12 m (3-39 ft) tall. They grow rapidly and burst forth with colorful flowers year round.
Bougainvillea thrives in places that are hot and relatively dry. Bougainvilleas are popular ornamental plants, including in many countries in Asia, Australia, and South Africa.
