Beginner Gardening: Do you know what this is?, 1 by pentasbutterfly

pentasbutterfly wrote:
I read your thread the other day and wondered about this strange flower. Then I was looking in a book form the library and there is was! Bougainvillea (Nyctaginaceae) - I guess yours must be "Scarlet O'Hara" which the book says "has fantastic scarlet-red flowers." I have attached the photo from this book (Trees and Shrubs for Flowers by Glyn Church) which I have scanned although it had a slight pink tint in the book that the scan doesn't show. This is a really neat climber. The book says it doesn't have petals. Those are red "bracts" (specialized leaves) that protect the flower buds. They love warmth and lots of sun. It needs good drainage. This is a really cool plant! I love it but it's too cold for it here in zone 5.

This message was edited Aug 18, 2007 1:22 PM