Bougainvillea - Flowering VinePhoenix Graph(pink pixie)

The navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811) gave his name to this genus. Originally from tropical and subtropical America. Popularly known as the "Paper Flower". Very delicate deep pink flowers that look like paper, hence the name "Paper Flower". Actually, the flowers are bracts of leaves at the tip of the stems that turn brilliant pink in color. Likes sun and warm temperatures.<br> A Phoenix Graft is the name commonly given to bonsai known as Tanuki. "Tanuki" is the Japanese word for "Badger." In traditional Japanese folklore, this animal is responsible for playing tricks on people, so when a Tanuki is involved, nothing is quite what it appears. A Tanuki bonsai is a living tree "grafting" to a section of deadwood, often from another species entirely. The effect can be impressive. Most Tanuki, in order to make use of a lifeless trunk, are styled in the driftwood style. Tanuki are also called "Phoenix Grafts" after the mythological Phoenix which arose from its own ashes.