Bougainvillea spectabilis x glabra Violet de Mèze

Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze, like all bougainvilleas, is a climbing plant of Mediterranean coasts but also of the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, areas where the sun reigns supreme and is always spared from frost. This French cultivar, obtained in Hérault, stands out for its better hardiness, which allows it to be planted directly in the ground in slightly less mild regions. It is also loved for the magnificent spectacle of its brilliant flowering, which actually consists of beautiful small heart-shaped floral bracts, of an intense and luminous violet color, surrounding a rather insignificant tiny flower. Gardeners in cooler continental climates should cultivate it in a large pot, storing it indoors in a cool and bright place during the winter, keeping it frost-free.

Bougainvillea spectroglabra Violet de Mèze, belongs to the family Nyctaginaceae, just like Mirabilis jalapa. This plant is one of the many horticultural hybrids resulting from the cross-breeding of B. Spectabilis and B. glabra, both native to the tropical forests of Brazil.

'Violet de Mèze' is a selection from the Cannebeth horticultural company located in Mèze. It is a shrub with rapid growth, whose long branches cling to their support through woody and hooked spines. Under good conditions, the plant will reach a height of 5m (16ft) with a spread of 2m (7ft), dimensions that will remain more modest if it is cultivated in a pot. The long flexible branches bear leaves that are more or less evergreen depending on the severity of the winter. They are entire, ovate to lanceolate, with a cordate base, more or less villous, with a slightly soft texture and a bright medium green color. The flowers bloom from May to September on 2-year-old branches. Grouped in panicles, they are white, tubular, and small. It is the bracts that surround them, of modest size in this variety but beautifully coloured in mauve-violet, that catch the eye from a distance. Their delicate and crinkled texture is reminiscent of tissue paper.

Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze transports the gardener, through the luxuriance of its flowering in extraordinary floral rockets, to distant horizons, and vigorously covers anywhere it likes, for exmple, a pergola, a large trellis, or even an entire south-facing facade of the house. It will truly thrive in mild climates, both very sunny and spared from heavy frosts. Growing it in pots is entirely possible, allowing it to be displayed on a patio or balcony throughout the summer season.