Dark Red Bougainvillea

The bougainvillea is considered one of the most familiar ornamental plants in the Philippines. When I was young, I could get to see this plant almost everywhere…from our garden, to our neighbor’s front yard, then to our school’s porch. It seemed at one point, this easy-to-propagate shrub had been a gardener’s favorite.

Bougainvilleas come in many colors, with dark red ones being the most common (I think). As I was paying a visit at a shrine last October, I was able to observe some of them and take pictures at close range.

Click the images to enlarge

Date Taken: October 23, 2011
Location: Theotokos Diocesan Shrine, Carcar City, Philippines

Dark Red Bougainvillea

Here’s a close-up pic of a dark red bougainvillea. Just in case you don’t know, the dark red parts are botanically not classified as flowers but bracts. Bracts are modified leaves that surround the plant’s real flower. In the case of bougainvilleas, the real flower is situated in the middle of the bracts and is tiny and yellow.

Wet Bougainvillea Bracts & Leaves

Bougainvilleas, along with other flowering plants, generally become fresher and more attractive after they are watered or…soaked in rain. And that’s irrefutable. :)