different shades of bougainvillea

bougainvillea 

(bunga kertas)

It must be the wide variety of colours, almost pest free and the hardiness of the plants that bougainvillea remain in mother in law's garden for such a long time. Some with stems almost the size of adult's thigh just to picture the age of the plants. They will flower again and again in our seamless tropical climate. Cuttings can propagate easily. These are few shots I took during the recent Raya Holiday, of the many plants she maintains in her garden.

For a glimpse of history, in 1768, a native to coastal Brazil, the bougainvillea was discovered in Rio de Janeiro by French naturalist Dr. Philibert Commerson. The plant is named after his close friend and ship's admiral Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, who commanded the ship La Boudeuse that sailed around the world between 1766-1769, and in which Commerson was a passenger. 

 

 bangchik