The plant is so hardy that it grows well even if it is neglected. The flowers of bougainvillaea are tiny and inconspicuous but enclosed by very attractive brackets. A wide range of colours makes this plant popular. The plant is liked not only for its flowers but even the foliage in some of the varieties is variegated. Varieties like Thimma, Dr Rao, Archana, Vaisakha, Surekha have variegated foliage.
Some varieties bear single flowers while others have double flowers .
There are also varieties that have two colours on the same plant. In North India, the plant blooms twice a year from the end of November to the first fortnight of December and during March-April. There are certain varieties like Shubra and Partha that also bear flowers during the summers. The latter can be used for hedging purposes. In case you are looking for a dwarf shrub, Golden Glow is suitable.