Bougainvillea spp.

A classic Mediterranean climber, bougainvillea blooms nearly year-round in vivid shades of pink, purple, red, orange, white and yellow. Its bright bracts create dramatic impact cascading over stone walls and pergolas.

Bougainvillea is one of the defining plants of Mediterranean architecture, flowering profusely from late spring through autumn — and in mild coastal microclimates, almost year-round. What appears to be flowers are in fact papery bracts in magenta, purple, orange, red, pink, white or apricot, surrounding tiny tubular true flowers. The plant becomes drought-dormant in cool wet winters and is damaged below -2°C, recovering quickly from frost on established specimens. It tolerates salt spray, poor soils and reflected heat from walls and paving; flowering is most intense when growth is stressed by drought and bright light.

A vigorous climber reaching 3–10 m, Bougainvillea is grown against sun-baked walls, over pergolas, along boundary walls and as flowering hedges where space allows. It needs strong support — wire or trellis — and benefits from hard pruning in late winter to control size and concentrate flowering on new wood. Classic Mediterranean compositions pair magenta Bougainvillea with white-washed walls, sky-blue Plumbago, terracotta pots of Lavandula and the dark glossy foliage of Citrus and Laurus nobilis. Multi-coloured grafted specimens are dramatic in large pots flanking entrances; trailing varieties work well cascading from raised planters and retaining walls.