This bright pink vine / bush is a showstopper. People new to Phoenix get clap-happy with joy and want to take their photo in front of the bright pink plant. The pink flowers are actually just pink leaves. But who cares?
What’s Good
- They are stunning.
- You can train them to grow up a trellis or an arbor.
- Once established, a bougenvilla can thrive in direct sunlight with minimal water. Give them one year of attention and you won’t have to think much more about it.
What’s Bad:
- Despite what some people say, the leaves die off in the winter. They are not green all year.
- They have thorns and they sting like a bee. If you have to trim them back, you had better wear a thick jacket and gloves to keep from getting ripped up.
- Because the bougainvillea does so well, you can see them all over town, unkempt and abandoned next to an ugly strip mall. Somehow this brings down their value in some people’s eyes.