Thorny Vine

Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). There are between 4 and 18 species in the genus and they grow very well here in Miami. They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their hooked thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance and they can really hurt. It's real easy to get a painful sting from this. All you have to do is get close to this bush and touch any part of it. These thorns spring out and grab your flesh as fast as a speeding cheetah. Ouch! There should be some yellow and white colors here but for some reason, those colors do not flower well at all.