| Bougainvillea, a strikingly beautiful plant seen in | | | | dramatic sight of Bougainvilleas near every |
| abundance in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, derived its | | | | subject of interest. |
| name from Louis Antoine de Bougainvillea, an | | | | Another tour where Bougainvilleas can be seen at |
| admiral in the French Navy that encountered | | | | every turn in the road is the Home tour, where |
| these plants in Brazil in 1768 and described their | | | | visitors are escorted through selected homes in |
| beauty to his fellow Europeans when he returned | | | | Vallarta's finest neighborhoods. The cobblestone |
| home. | | | | roads, white and pastel colored villas with their red |
| Bougainvilleas are rapid growing plants that | | | | tile roofs, the incredible hillside views of the city |
| produce white flowers year round in sunny warm | | | | and Banderas Bay, and of course the magnificent |
| climates and Vallarta perfectly meets their | | | | tropical foliage with Bougainvilleas around almost |
| requirements by providing approximately 320 | | | | every home, provide these tourists with a day full |
| sunny days per year with an average annual | | | | of unforgettable sights. |
| temperature of 78°F. Being deciduous, they | | | | Puerto Vallarta currently has seven world class |
| do fine without much watering during the seven | | | | golf courses with the construction of an eighth |
| month dry season in Vallarta from November | | | | course near completion. Three additional courses |
| through May, when there is virtually no rain. As | | | | are on the drawing board and will probably be built |
| thorny vines, they seem content growing up, | | | | during the next five years. They are all |
| horizontal or even hanging down and can reach | | | | magnificently manicured courses, some rolling |
| out or up almost 40 feet. | | | | throughout the foothills of the Sierra Madres, |
| It's almost impossible to go anywhere in Vallarta | | | | others along the shore of Banderas Bay or the |
| without seeing bougainvilleas growing profusely. | | | | Pacific Ocean. Aside from having absolutely |
| They are everywhere along the roadside, can be | | | | perfect weather conditions for golf for eight |
| spotted on the Sierra Madre hillsides, act as | | | | months of the year, these courses have one |
| potted plants or serve as ornamental shrubs | | | | other thing in common; they are all beautifully |
| around almost every casita and villa, are all over | | | | adorned with strategically positioned Bougainvilleas. |
| the golf courses, and are around all public areas of | | | | Typically, when visitors play the golf courses |
| interest. Bougainvilleas can be seen hanging over | | | | around Vallarta, they will take a number of |
| walls, from terraces, and from window sills in | | | | photographs of the scenery and it will invariably |
| every Vallarta neighborhood. Because they are so | | | | include Bougainvilleas. The standard comment is |
| dense with foliage and prickly thorns, they are | | | | that it's exactly what one would expect to find in |
| ideal for and routinely used as colorful hedges | | | | Paradise! Of course, their comments may differ a |
| along walkways and between lots. | | | | bit immediately after spraying a tee shot out of |
| Now we ask, if all their flowers are white, why | | | | the fairway and into one of the magnificent |
| are these plants so beautiful and colorful? The | | | | Bougainvillea bushes with their thorny branches |
| answer is that it's not their flowers that have | | | | and profusion of bracts and leaves hanging down |
| drawn our attention, it's their bracts! All | | | | to the ground, making their ball virtually |
| bougainvilleas have small white trumpet shaped | | | | irretrievable! |
| flowers in clusters of three, surrounded by three | | | | Included with the gorgeous and infinitely differing |
| or six brightly colored bracts. These bracts are | | | | evening sunsets, the Guadalupe Church, the sand |
| actually modified or specialized leaves, generally | | | | sculptures on the beach, and the bronze |
| slightly smaller than the green foliage leaves and | | | | sculptures on the malecon, the colorful |
| their purpose is to attract pollinators. In the case | | | | Bougainvillea bracts are among the most |
| of bougainvilleas, these bracts can be pink, | | | | photographed topics in Vallarta. If you bring a |
| magenta, purple, red, orange, yellow, white, or a | | | | camera to this tropical Paradise, make sure |
| combination of colors. Poinsettia is another | | | | you've got plenty of spare memory or film |
| example of a beautiful plant, where the bright red | | | | because it's quite easy to get carried away taking |
| color that we're familiar with at Christmas time is | | | | pictures before you've seen it all! |
| actually the Poinsettia bract and not a flower. | | | | If you're fortunate enough to be one of the |
| In Vallarta there are numerous tours that are | | | | 50,000 North Americans living here, the next time |
| taken on a daily basis by thousands of cruise boat | | | | a visitor to the area comments on all the beautiful |
| passengers and other visitors. They include Safari | | | | Bougainvillea flowers, you can be a real smart |
| tours, Canopy tours, Jungle tours, City tours, etc., | | | | aleck by informing them that what they're |
| all of which have many beautiful sights to see | | | | admiring are actually bracts; that all Bougainvillea |
| with "photo ops" galore. One common "photo op" | | | | flowers are white! |
| that can be seen on all these tours is the | | | | |