Native to South America, the bougainvillea has found a friendly home in Hawaii. In places that receive rainfall all year long, like most of Hawaii, the bougainvillea are evergreen with colorful blooms coming and going throughout each month.
Sometimes this plant is called “paper-flower” because of the colored leaf-flowers. The flowers of this plant are the official flower of many island nations and cities, however none in Hawaii.
This bunch of bougainvillea was pictured on the Big Island’s dry forest in the Puu Wa’a Wa’a State Wildlife Sanctuary.
