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Bouganvilleas
 Bouganvillea Scarlet O'Hara
30 year old specimen
They are among the most showy and strong growing climbers in the world. Also the most popular as suit both temperate and tropical regions. There are three main species with dozens of cultivars. For our region we need to select the hardier varieties for growing outdoors. The tropical cultivars include the Hawaiian double flowered forms and the apricot, yellow and white flowered clones. These can only be successfully grown outdoors in very warm frost free areas. They are ideal to grow in enclosed outdoor rooms as tolerate extreme heat.
The flowers on Bouganvilleas are really very showy bracts that encircle the small white flower that emerges from the centre of the bract. These fragrant flowers attract myriads of different butterflies that hover and alight on the flowers. Interestingly they don’t lay eggs on the plants so Bouganvilleas don’t appear to be predated by insects. The bracts or flowers are produced when the weather turns into summer. In our region this means anytime from late October. Flowers are at their most brilliant through January and entirely smother the leaves and this is when the true white flowers emerge. Bouganvilleas will continue to send out new flowers until the end of summer but the showy effect is lessoned as new growing shoots are prolifically produced during this period as well.
To establish plant in spring after frosts have finished to allow maximum growth and hardening of branches before next winters cold. In frost free areas the hardier Bouganvilleas will flower for most of the year and retain their foliage but in frosty areas most of the leaves will drop to leave thorny dead looking branches .Bouganvilleas actually climb by hooking their vicious thorns into supports. One needs to respect these climbers when pruning as careless handling can result in nasty wounds and ripped clothing. Site carefully as well. Plant in from main pathways unless you prune regulary to remove those vigorous shoots.
Although Bouganvilleas grow vigorously when young they seem to settle down with maturity to throw up fewer new shoots and to put their energies into thorn and flower production. (The flowers are produced from the base of the thorn ) During summer remove any unwanted new shoots but the main pruning is done in early spring. Remove any dead wood and a proportion of the older flowering canes. This will encourage new growth to come away and the production of flowers. Feed with a slow release low nitrogen fertilizer in spring then again in mid summer.
Outdoor varieties.
Bouganvillea magnifica trailii
This is the hardiest and most rampant grower ,always an evergreen. The single purple bracts are produced for most of the year over glossy green leaves but gives a very showy overall flowering through summer. It is a very bushy grower with a weeping tendancy and can be grown as a huge free standing shrub. The thorns are smaller ,more numerous and just as vicious as the others.You need space for this Bouganvillea as it doesn’t like taming.
Bouganvillea Scarlet O’Hara.
This is the most popular Bouganvillea in N.Z. and deservedly so with its flamboyant scarlet bracts. The bracts eventually fade to a crimson pink but with new flowers emerging constantly the effect is always vivid. New foliage is bronzed which adds to the overall attractiveness. This Bouganvillea can attain large dimensions but regular pruning can keep it to a small climber. The smaller Bouganvillea in the photos is over 30 years old and has long lost its vigour to become almost a dwarf climber. It hardly even requires pruning now.
Bouganvillea Killie Campbell
The bracts change colour from copper red and ending as magenta. This Bouganvillea has a weeping habit and can be trained into a large weeping standard.
Indoor and container varieties.
The following tender varieties require shelter from cold winds and frosts and are ideal in containers where they can be moved about. The warm and drier soil conditions brings on the flowers a lot earlier in the season and keeps the plants to a manageable size.
Bouganvillea Bridal Boquet
A double flowered form with white flowers tinged with pink.
Bouganvillea carmencita
A very showy double carmine red bracts.
Bouganvillea Tropic Rainbow
Bright red bracts are set off against the cream and green leaves. This makes an excellent hanging basket plant.
Bouganvillea Hawaiians
These all have large single colourful bracts and are available in the following colours. -Orange, pink ,white and yellow.
 Bouganvillea Scarlet O'Hara
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