September 7, 2009On Teddy's morning walk on her last day in Santa Barbara she stopped to smell this red foliage, but it had zero fragrance. Nibs explained what she was sniffing was Bougainvillea, which has no scent. Discovered in 1768 in Brazil by French navigator Louis de Bougainville, the plant is actually a vine and while it does have flowers (notice the white speckles?) they are minuscule and don't emit much, if any, odor. The brilliant red color would lead one to believe it does have a wonderful tropical smell, but the red parts are the leaves, not the flower, thus the assumption. Interesting note: you'll never find Bougainvillea in Alaska or Norway because it grows only in warm climates. Teddy learns something new every day thanks to Nibs!
the bears were near the Biltmore Hotel when they discovered the Bougainvillea... fyi!
ReplyDeletegreat color
ReplyDeletemy favorite!
ReplyDeleteso gorgeous and lush. had no idea plant was from Brazi. I would have guessed Greece or Italy
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