The Beautiful Flowers Of The Bougainvillea Bonsai
Bougainvillea blooms are among the most beautiful flowers in the natural world. Prevalent in a wide array of colors, bougainvillea is the perfect addition to any garden. However, these perennial beauties are not limited to the great outdoors; bougainvilleas make the ideal bonsai.
Bonsais have always had a significant connection to the human spirit. We breathe in what trees breathe out, and our internal structures mirror various structures found in nature, not forgetting that we are 70% water in our physiological makeup. In so many ways, we are nature, and nature is us. By bringing something as magnificent as a bougainvillea indoors in the form of a mystical bonsai, we honor nature, spirit, and our higher selves.
Fun fact: The pretty colorful petals on bougainvilleas are not flowers at all. The bougainvillea flower is the creamy-white bloom in the center of the colorful structure. The outer petals are called bracts. They are delicate, thin leaves or scales. Bougainvillea is known to produce small clusters of delicate light flowers within their vibrantly colorful bracts.
The Importance of Color
Bougainvillea bracts bloom in some of the most vibrant colors. Colors have always intrigued, inspired, and enthralled humanity. Since the most ancient and mysteriously shrouded ages in human history, color has played essential roles in developing the self, realizing higher realms of thought and existence, and beautifying the world around us.
There’s no reason for the enigmatic colors of bougainvilleas to be regarded with any less wonder. In Alchemy, the journey toward the Great Work is expressed through color. Each color represents a different stage of progression and, to some, enlightenment.
Color is regarded with equal importance in the various schools of mysticism. Specific colors are assigned to the body’s seven energy centers, or chakras, with each color representing a particular aspect of the human condition.
Many people believe that by bringing specific colors into our space, we set cosmic cogs in motion and draw our greatest dreams and desires into our lives. With the beautiful correlations between color and the more mystical aspects of the human experience firmly established, let’s take a look at the colors of the bougainvillea bonsai.
Red
As the first color in chakra symbolism and a primary color in color theory, red is the best place to start. Red is the color associated with the Muladhara Chakra, or as we know it in the western world, the root chakra. Your root is located in your coccyx and defines your relation to the earth, just as the root system does for the beautiful bougainvillea.
Red is a dense color, and it represents, and some would argue, affects our vitality, passion, and survival. Red stabilizes us and keeps us grounded. Red bougainvilleas, therefore, are a symbol of strength, stability, and vitality. Who doesn’t yearn for more stability? The most popular variant of red bougainvillea is Scarlett O’Hara, also known as San Diego Red.
As a bonsai, the deep red color of the Scarlett O’Hara bougainvillea can be used to warm your space up. Scarlett O’Hara will look striking in any interior environment, but it might be a good idea to keep it out of the dining room. Red also tends to spark ravenous hunger.
Orange
Orange is a color associated with happiness. As the color assigned to the second energy center, the sacral chakra, orange is also a color of vitality, although a little more impactful than red. Known as Svadhisthana in Sanskrit, the sacral chakra is seen as where your most authentic essence lies. Svadhisthana is associated with sensuality, creativity, freedom of self-expression, and emotional well-being.
King among the orange bougainvillea bonsais is the Orange King. The Orange King is one of the most diverse bougainvilleas in that it occurs naturally in different shades of orange. Primarily the bracts of the Orange King range from bright orange to a dusty orange with a pink undertone, all the way to deep bronze. Sometimes hints of reds can be seen at the base of the bracts.
An orange bougainvillea bonsai is a perfect choice for any creative area in the house. Orange is also a brilliant color for children’s spaces, like playrooms, bedrooms, and study areas. Root an orange bougainvillea bonsai into your space and set the perfect stage for a healthy boost of creativity, self-expression, and emotional stability.
Yellow
The sun-like warmth of yellow makes it a popular color for clothing, interior decor, and landscaping. There is not much more beautiful than a yellow bougainvillea standing proudly somewhere in your yard unless it’s a yellow bougainvillea in your house in the form of a beautiful bonsai.
Yellow is the color assigned to the Manipura Chakra, which is called the solar plexus in Western terms. The word solar immediately conjures a powerful image of brightness, warmth, and pure light. Similarly, the solar plexus is associated with our connection to the Sun and fire and is the chakra of knowledge and intellect. Yellow also represents youth, birth, new beginnings, and rebirth.
California Gold is one of the best performing varieties of yellow bougainvillea. The bracts of California Gold are most commonly a warm, golden hue, but they can also occur in shades toward the lighter, paler yellows. A yellow bougainvillea bonsai will brighten up any place it is placed. Spaces that don’t have as much natural sunlight would benefit significantly from this light, bright, warm and vibrant bougainvillea bonsai.
Green
While not technically a color dominantly prevalent in bougainvillea flowers, green is still of cardinal importance. Green is the color of the heart chakra, Anahata in Sanskrit. The Anahata chakra governs our ability to give and receive love, including ourselves. Green is therefore always an essential color to surround ourselves by. There are few more enriching ways to bring green into the home than with a bougainvillea bonsai.
The perennial nature of bougainvilleas makes them a year-round source of self-love, compassion, and expressions of unconditional love. Any of the stunning varieties of bougainvillea bonsai will be green and full of life, even when they’re not covered in lush, vibrant bracts and blooms.
Purple
Often associated with royalty and regality, purple is a color of balance and spirituality. Purple is assigned to the crown chakra, Sahasrara. In Sanskrit, Sahasrara means thousand-petaled and represents the thousand-faceted nature of humanity and how we and everything within us connects to the universe in a harmonious cacophony of beauty. Purple symbolizes our connection to our higher selves, or our higher power, depending on your spiritual outlook.
True purple bougainvillea varieties are relatively rare but beautiful nonetheless. The most well-known variety is Purple Queen, also known as Moneth Purple Queen. This variety makes a beautiful bonsai and features rich, deep purple bracts with classic light flowers.
A purple bougainvillea bonsai will do wonders for your higher thought and should be placed in contemplative spaces. This is the perfect bonsai to have anywhere where you practice introspection or commune with your higher self or higher power.
Magenta
Most of us see magnificent magenta bracts when we hear the term bougainvillea. This is the most popular and widely occurring variant of bougainvillea. Magenta is a vibrant, almost luminescent color that governs the soul star chakra, or Padaka in Sanskrit.
The soul star chakra is one of the external chakras, part of the twelve chakra system, and not included in the seven chakras inside the human body. The soul star governs our understanding of what it means to be human in addition to experiences like transcendence and divine love. This chakra is our connection and resonance to the rest of creation.
Crimson Jewel is the name given to the most striking of the magenta bougainvillea varieties. Apart from being a signature addition to any garden, Crimson Jewel also makes a bold and vibrant statement as a bonsai. Bring a mystical sense of transcendental peace into any space in your home with this stunning bonsai.
White
The color most widely associated with peace and tranquillity, white is another color assigned to the crown chakra. While purple has to do with communication with your higher self or higher power, white has resonance with the duality of human nature, magnetism, and emotional calmness.
A white bougainvillea bonsai is an all-rounder in what it can inspire within you and your space. The crisp white bracts, sometimes accented with hints of green from the leaves or the lightest touch of pink or orange, will look beautiful in any setting.
Final Word
Whichever color you choose to practice the ancient art of bonsai in, make sure that you choose a bougainvillea. Bougainvilleas, with their delicate, fine bracts and light clusters of flowers, are beautiful to look at, and when grown with purpose, can supplement your journey toward a healthier, happier, more balanced you.
There is so much to be learned from watching the way a bonsai grows, the paths its roots take, and the stunning way in which bougainvillea, in particular, blooms. However, the true beauty of a bonsai is much less seen than it is felt. The calm that arises from tending to such exquisite expressions of the natural world is a feeling not easily attained anywhere else.
