Bougainvillea colors differ with each species. There may be variance in the colors of the flowers, bracts and leaves as well, bracts are the most colorful in the plant and mostly been confuse and consider as flowers.
Some types of Bougainvillea colors you may encounter:
Bougainvillea brasiliensis
The bracts of a Bougainvillea brasiliensis flower bracts may be in purple, pink, red, purplish, magenta, and shades in between these hues. Most of the year, this type of bougainvillea has blooms that are small yellowish white. Its distinctive leaves are oval in shape and come in green with white on its edges. Bougainvillea brasiliensis is an ornamental thorny shrub that is also known as “raspberry ice”. A mature plant of this species may reach a height of 3 to 6 feet.
Bougainvillea buttiana
This type of bougainvillea sports a few colors for its bracts – magenta-rose, pink or purple. It has green oval leaves and small white yellowish flower about the size of 1-2mm. Bougainvillea buttiana is a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Bougainvillea peruviana. It usually blooms in the late spring – midsummer, but can sometimes show some flowers in the late summer. It usually grows up to 3 to 32 feet.
Bougainvillea glabra
Bougainvillea glabra has variety of white, purple, pink, red, purplish bracts and a lot of other shades in between these colors. The leaves of this species are green and oval while its flowers are yellowish white and small. Often used for bonsai training, Bougainvillea glabra could grow as a shrub or a climber. It is also known as “paperflower”. You would usually see blooms in this plant in the late spring to midsummer and sometimes in the late summer as well.
Bougainvillea mini thai
There are three bracts covering each flower and they usually come in only one color – magenta. Used as an ornamental thorny hedge plant, Bougainvillea mini thai has green oval leaves and small white flowers. Bougainvillea mini thai can be a shrub or a climber and typically grows up to 3 to 16 feet. You can enjoy the luscious blooms of this plant in the spring, summer, or autumn.
Bougainvillea peruviana
Peruviana flowers are yellowish white and its bracts can be in color magenta-rose or purple. Like other bougainvillea species, its leaves are green and oval in shape. Bougainvillea peruviana is a thorny perennial evergreen vine used as an ornamental plant. This usually reaches 2 to 7 feet in length and blooms in the late spring to midsummer and sometimes even in the late summer.
Bougainvillea plant
The flowers of the bougainvillea plant are white yellowish and its bracts may be in white, purple, yellow, pink, light orange, red, purplish, and a lot of hue variety between these colors. Its oval leaves are green but may sometimes show white edges. This type can grow as a shrub, tree or climber and usually used as an ornamental plant like the others. It can grow up to 10-30 feet under preferable conditions and commonly blooms in spring to midsummer.
Bougainvillea spectabilis
Like other species of Bougainvillea, its flowers are small and yellowish white. However, its bracts has lots of color variety including white, purple, pink, red, purplish, magenta, orange, and other colors in between these shades. Also known for the name “Great Bougainvillea”, Bougainvillea spectabilis can grow either as a vine or shrub. It has ovate leaves in color green and typically grows up to 3 to 6 feet. The Great Bougainvillea boasts a splendid view of its blooms all year round.
Bougainvillea tree
It has the typical green ovate shaped leaves and small white yellowish flower like most bougainvillea species. While its bracts may come in white, purple, pink, light orange, red, purplish or any hues in between these colors. Bougainvillea tree is also known for the name Bougainvillea arborea. Reaching a size of 15 to 30 feet, bougainvillea arborea is one of the biggest types of bougainvillea plant and shows an extravagant bloom in late spring to midsummer, sometimes in the late summer as well.
Bracts vs flowers: where the colour comes from
The vivid “petals” everyone admires on a bougainvillea are not petals at all — they are modified leaves called bracts. The true flowers are the tiny white or cream tubes in the centre of each cluster of three bracts. All the colour comes from the bracts, which is why the display lasts so long.
Bougainvillea colours and popular varieties
Bougainvillea bracts range across almost the whole warm spectrum. Popular named cultivars by colour:
| Colour | Popular varieties |
|---|---|
| Red / scarlet | Barbara Karst, San Diego Red, Scarlett O’Hara, Flame |
| Pink / coral | Rosenka (coral-pink), Vera, Imperial Delight |
| Purple / magenta | Vera Deep Purple, Purple Queen, Elizabeth Angus |
| White / cream | Jamaica White, Miss Alice, Shubra |
| Orange / apricot | Afterglow, California Gold, Louis Wathen |
| Bicolour / colour-changing | Mary Palmer (a.k.a. Surprise), Rosenka |
Do bougainvillea colours change?
Yes — in a few ways. A single plant can carry bracts in more than one shade at once, and some cultivars (famously Mary Palmer/’Surprise’) naturally open one colour and age to another, so one plant shows white, pink and magenta together. Colour intensifies in strong sun, heat and mild drought stress, and fades in shade or with over-watering and excess nitrogen. Unlike hydrangeas, soil pH does not change bougainvillea bract colour.
Why are my bougainvillea’s colours fading or dull?
Weak colour almost always means not enough direct sun, or too much water and nitrogen driving leafy growth. Move the plant into full sun, ease off watering and switch to a low-nitrogen bloom feed to bring the bracts back. See bougainvillea care and growing bougainvillea in pots.
Quick questions
Can one bougainvillea have different colours? Yes — some cultivars are naturally multicoloured, and bracts can shift shade as they age.
Does soil change bougainvillea colour? No — unlike hydrangeas, soil pH doesn’t affect bract colour; light, heat and variety do.
