Bougainvillea is a beautiful vine that has a hardy, woody stem and beautiful blossoms that are made up of 3 delicate, colored petals that look much like tissue paper surrounding 1 to 3 tiny white flowers.
Along the vine you will find several sharp thorns that range from one centimeter to three inches in length. The size and quantity of thorns depends on several different factors including care, pruning and the variety of bougainvillea you are growing.
A healthy bougainvillea can grow upwards of 100 feet unless you choose to prune it to maintain it's shape and size. With that said, you can train your bougainvillea to grow several feet up a trellis, or keep it tidy and shaped in a large pot or hanging basket. Be sure to scroll all the way down for several beautiful pictures of all the different colors.