Bougainvillea belongs to the genus of tropical evergreen shrubs belonging to the family of Noctifolia (Niktaginovyh). Their homeland is Brazil. The plant, named after the French traveler L.A. de Bougainville, who led the first round-the-world expedition of the French, is a bush, tree or creeper, characterized by elongated, prickly plastic branches.
Bougainvillea won the recognition of plant growers with luxurious long-term flowering, continuing in the tropics year-round. In our area, it is able to decorate any room, although its cultivation is considered quite difficult.
General information
The genus of bougainvilleas is represented by evergreen creeping shrubs or small trees reaching a height of five meters in nature. At home, bushes can also grow up to 3 meters, their growth is limited by pruning.
Plants are able to easily reproduce and grow rapidly. Flexible liana-like shoots are equipped with spikes that allow you to grab onto any supports and use them to pull up. Breeders tried to rid the plants of thorns, but so far to no avail.
Small foliage with uniform smooth or pubescent edges, depending on the type of plant, and pointed tips can be quite diverse: green on the top and lime on the bottom, there are specimens of mixed colors. The main pictorial advantage of the bush is its tiny nondescript light flowers, soon fading and crumbling, but surrounded by spectacular colorful covering leaves, in nature having a lilac hue.
Breeders managed to get flowers of all kinds of colors. Among them are:
- lilac;
- purplish-raspberry;
- beige and cream;
- orange
- pinkish;
- snow-white.
Bougainvilleas can combine shades of two colors. The form of inflorescences, which lasts a long time, surprises with its quirkiness. They are:
- triangular;
- heart-shaped;
- rounded
- oblong.
Their length is from 3 to 5 cm. To the touch, the bracts resemble ultra-thin embossed paper. In tropical regions, bougainvillea blooms year-round.
Popular views
Of the 14 varieties of tropical creeping plants found in nature, several varieties are usually cultivated. As a houseplant, they often breed naked and wonderful bougainvillea. Mostly popular are hybrid forms, characterized by a mass of terry bracts of lilac color, covering the entire foliage.
Beautiful bougainvillea
It is a winding vine with pubescent shoots, equipped with foliage with short petioles and sharp tips. Single or collected in oblong brushes (from 3 to 5 pieces), flowers are bordered with purple apical leaves. At home, a vine grows like an ampel plant.
Bougainvillea smooth (naked)
Bougainvillea glabra has an even, creeping, branched stalk. As a houseplant, it is cultivated as an upright bush, abundantly and continuously flowering, which, by pruning, can be given any desired shape. It was on its basis that the majority of hybrids were created. The shrub has oblong shiny dark green leaves with pointed ends. It is characterized by impressive inflorescences of all kinds of light shades:
- snow-white;
- pinkish;
- lemon yellow;
- peach;
- salmon.
This type of flower is often used to breed dwarf varieties; bonsai are successfully grown on their basis.
Bougainvillea peruvian
Bougainvillea peruviana, discovered by A. von Humboldt, is characterized by a green bark with shortened needles. This variety is not branched, but can bloom repeatedly, especially with careful care, consisting in timely cutting.
Wonderful bougainvillea
Grows on rocky slopes in Brazil, gained fame in the 19th century. In tropical countries, pavilions and greenhouses decorated the liana, reaching 15 meters in length. This variety is distinguished by large bracts and strong, velvety foliage on the underside of heart-shaped foliage, gradually fading. From April to October, her flowers bloom delightfully, grouped in brushes up to 5 cm in size. Around each of them are 3 light pink, lilac or reddish bracts, which become lighter with age.
Hybrid varieties
Breeders are systematically working on the formation of new hybrid varieties represented by all kinds of miniature forms and picturesque colors. The most widespread hybrid, created by crossing two species: beautiful bougainvillea and Peruvian. It has a rather large oblong foliage and spikes on the shoots. Bracts in creamy flowers are characterized by a rich copper-red color, which changes to a deep pink or purple with age.
A hybrid of the bare and Peruvian varieties is also common - the Bougainvillea Butt, which is distinguished by elongated dark green foliage and tiny snow-white corollas of the petals, belted by three very thin light-scarlet covering sheets.
Other varieties
Terry varieties include bougainvillea Lilarous, characterized by unpretentiousness, high decorativeness and bright long flowering.
An interesting variety is Don Mario with its red-burgundy apical leaf blades, delighting the owner with picturesque from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn.
Basic requirements for growing
Despite the picturesque nature of the plant, it is rarely grown at home due to concerns about the difficulty of breeding it. In fact, this process is not so ingenious and quite possible subject to the rules of cultivation.
Liana is considered a photophilous plant, tolerates direct sunlight and almost does not require shading, except in rare cases. The best option for her would be placement on the south or southwest windowsill, and additional lighting is needed. With a deficit of light on the north side and in a darkened room, bougainvillea may die.
The flower does not tolerate drafts, ordinary ventilation can harm it. He reacts negatively to movements, a place should immediately choose a permanent one.
In the winter season, like other exotic flowers, bougainvillea rests. During this period, it should be irrigated only once a month, avoiding absolute drying of the roots, and kept in a slightly darkened room at a temperature of + 8 ° C ... + 15 ° C, however, it must be controlled so that the root system does not get hypothermia.
In addition, for the successful breeding of bougainvillea and its long-term lush flowering, it is recommended:
- provide competent light mode;
- choose the right pot;
- arrange the necessary conditions for the resting stage;
- to carry out systematic top dressing;
- transplant a flower on time;
- control the likely occurrence of pests and carry out preventive measures.
Caring for bougainvillea at home
In summer, it is advisable to take out a flowerpot with a flower on the balcony, protecting it from drafts. Optimum temperature from + 22 ° C + 30 ° C. However, a strong decrease in the thermal regime at rest (up to + 7 ° C) can cause the development of pathogens and further death.
The plant responds favorably to watering with soft, settled water: it is a moisture-loving flower that needs regular, plentiful moisture and spraying of leaves on both sides, and this should be done as carefully as possible so that the drops do not fall on the petals. Stagnant moisture is also unacceptable for a flower: it causes rotting of the root system. That is why after irrigation it is necessary to remove excess water from the sump.
For spectacular flowering, bougainvillea should be fed with complex fertilizers at least twice a week. In addition, an intensively developing plant requires regular transplantation. The size of the buds under normal conditions is due to the size of the pot: tightness for the roots provokes a decrease in the growth of the bush and a decrease in the flowering volume.
The optimal time for transplantation is considered to be early spring, the period of awakening of the plant from winter rest. An important requirement for planting is the preservation of the roots, which requires great care when conducting.
After flowering is completed, in order to enhance the further formation of buds, the shrub needs pruning, while young shoots are half cut. In the autumn, serious cutting of branches is carried out, and during the summer season it is possible to carry out easy crown formation.
Breeding
Bougainvillea is bred by cuttings in the spring and summer. Cut apical lignified shoots are placed for several hours in warm water, then treated with a root growth stimulator and rooted in a substrate (not lower than + 25 ° C), consisting of turf, earth, sand and peat.
New original varieties of bougainvillea are obtained through vaccination. To do this, a surface incision is made on the rootstock side, into which the scion is inserted, fixed with medical glue and thread.
Mr. Dachnik warns: possible problems when growing bougainvillea
Erroneous care of the bush often leads to complications when growing, for example, a variety of diseases, attack by pests.
- When mold is infected, white spots appear on the leaves. The reason is excessive humidity and inadequate ventilation. You can save the flower by moving it to a well-ventilated room.
- The aphid that is visible on the underside of the foliage is fraught with depigmentation, coagulation and falling of leaves. Treatment consists in the use of a soap solution and insecticide treatment.
- Mealybugs damage flowers and buds, inhibiting the development of the bush. Processing with soapy water or alcohol is recommended, then the parts of the plant affected by the pest should be trimmed.
- To resuscitate the vines when the root system is damaged, it is removed from the pot and the roots are disinfected, while cutting off the injured areas and sprinkling them with wood ash. Incidentally, broken branches must be cut so that later new shoots can grow at the bush. Remote stems can be used to root new flowers.
Due to its decorativeness, bougainvillea has won the recognition of many flower growers, who are not stopped by some difficulties in its cultivation and care. A luxurious tropical plant native to Brazil decorates greenhouses with long and plentiful flowering and successfully decorates the southern windowsills of apartments. If desired, you can give it any shape.
