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The Bougainvillea's are looking spectacular at present, a real summer flowerer - here are some of the lovely colours I've seen around my neighbourhood whilst doing my morning walks. Reading up on them, I see where the plant was named after a French explorer, scientist, Louis Antoine de Bougianville and the plant is originally from South America.
I remember when everyone used to have a Bougainvillea growing around the tank stand at the back of the house, or at the side ... now when you go driving you will see a large bougainvillea in the middle of a paddock & you know that was where the old farm house used to be ... sometimes the old tank stand is still standing minus the tank & it is totally covered by the plant. They do have dreadfully sharp thorns on them & one must be very careful with the disposal of the trimmed branches as I really don't think the thorns ever disintegrate - they will even penetrate right through your rubber thongs & if the tip should break-off in your foot it will fester for sure so no wonder they are left to do their own thing. These days they have bred them down to a pot-plant size plant[dwarf] but the flowers/leaves are still the same size as the mother plant & I think they are called bougainvillea bambinos & they come in all the lovely colours but I can't find if they still have thorns...
Thankful... for having eye-sight to see such beauty...