Bougainvillea spectabilis

Botanical Description

Bougainvillea spectabilis is an evergreen, climbing shrub producing stems up to 10 metres long[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The plant can support itself on other plants by means of thorns carried in the leaf axils, though in cultivation it might need tying in to pergolas etc[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. A drink can be make from the flower bracts. The plant is widely grown as an ornamental from the warm temperate to the tropical zones, and is often grown in greenhouses in climates that are unsuitable for it.