Introduced from South America, Bougainvillea remain popular shrubs and climbers in many parts of the world.  These shrubs can tolerate a wide variety of growing conditions. Growth habits vary from dwarf shrubs with few or no thorns to large climbers sporting sturdy thorns on stout stems that can reach the canopies of large forest trees.  There are dozens of cultivars available, with different coloured flowers, a number of double varieties and some plants have variegated leaves.

This shrub is well known for its colourful display, the plants can have shades of white, pink, red, orange, lilac, purple and cerise flowers. There is even a cultivar that has pink and white flowers on the same plant!

They do best in warm, dry gardens in full sun and lose all their leaves in winter when grown in colder climates. These disorderly shrubs can grow up to 6 m high or more, with a similar spread. If left to its own devices, the shrub will spread low and wide, but with support it can be trained to grow against a fence or trellis. It will grow upright if pruned judiciously, forming a lovely hedge or small, ornamental tree. Flowering takes place through much of the year, depending on the cultivar. In addition, Bougainvillea have sharp thorns, which make them ideal specimens to plant against walls to deter people from climbing over. These plants grow well in pots and are also a popular bonsai specimen.