Bougainvillea 'Hugh Evans' (Bougainvillea Glabra) With Persian Pink Bracts : (pix Sanjiv Shukla) Stock Photo

Paperflower (Bougainvillea glabra), also known as lesser bougainvillea, is the most common bougainvillea used for bonsai. It is an evergreen, climbing shrub with thick, thorny stems and drooping branches that are smooth or sparsely hairy. The leaf-like bracts are found in various colors, but pink, purple, and red are most common. Bracts can be oblong or elliptical, pointed. They tower over the flowers. These grow individually in pairs or in groups of three on flower stems. Tiny white flowers usually appear in clusters surrounded by colorful papery bracts, hence the name paperflower.