Bougainvillea Sanderiana

Description

There are about 15 species, native to the tropics and subtropics of South America, especially Brazil. They were introduced in Europe in the first half of the 19th century. Especially in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea and in Africa, they are thriving.
These plants are shrub or herbaceous, evergreen or deciduous, most of them climbing. In the wild, they grow up to 4 m tall. They have thorny twigs and insignificant flowers. The flowers are surrounded by strikingly coloured, papery bracts that remain on the plant for a long time.
Bougainvillea was first found in the second half of the 18th century, during an expedition led by the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville.