Food, Produce & Markets

Colourful Delight

Bougainvilleathrives in Fiji. In drier locations like Denarau and Nadi its blooms are on display practically year-round. It makes fine specimen trees and wonderful hedging around houses. A fact taken fully advantage of by households, Resorts, and urban planners.

This landmark, beautiful, magnificent, bougainvillea tree stood for a long time on the road between the North-Western Viti Levu towns of Ba and Tavua. Unfortunately tropical cyclone Winston ripped it out in 2016, but in this picture at least, its memory lives on.

Bougainvillea, it comes in many different shapes and sizes. It can assume the characteristics of a plant, a vine, a shrub or a tree, depending on its situation; but in whatever form it takes the results can be absolutely stunning. It is often used to spectacular effect in household compounds. Named after the intrepid French explorer Admiral Louis de Bougainville whose expedition discovered it in South America in 1768, it is now one of the most sought after, and ubiquitous, decorative tropical flowering plants in the world.

Bougainvillea grows well in Fiji and there are many fine specimens that can be enjoyed on Denarau. In fact, Denarau offers an ideal location for growing bougainvillea. It performs best when grown in well-drained soil in full sun. If it gets too much rain it will not bloom, preferring to just grow instead. Denarau, located on the western or leeward side of Viti Levu, enjoys the effects of Fiji’s dry season that runs from May to November each year. During this period the bougainvillea really comes into its own with wonderful blooms.

Who knows how many different varieties and colours there are on Denarau but if you are up for a challenge you could always try and count them!