My bougainvillea starts to flower again

I noticed a few days ago that a small growth had appeared on the rather dried up branch of my indoor bougainvillea plant. I’ve been worried about it, as its leaves have been very slowly dropping off the woody stem. I bought it as a house plant from a supermarket two years ago and have been surprised that I’ve managed to overwinter it for two years running let alone keep it growing for this long. It did have a few flowers early last year so I’ve persevered.

Imagine my delight when I realised that it was actually producing a proper pink ‘flower’, which is less than an inch long at the moment, although the flowers are actually modified leaves called bracts. The bracts surround the actual flowers that are tiny and white. The new leaves beneath it are also a good sign.

I haven’t actually followed any gardening advice on how to look after bougainvillea but I think I’ll try to look after it more carefully this year. The fact that it has appeared for New Year’s Day seems auspicious to me.

From a website:
Native to South America, bougainvillea was named in honor of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a sailor and explorer during the late 1700s. Despite its showy nature, bougainvillea is not a particularly high-maintenance plant. The vine-y shrub typically blooms three times a year once established, often going dormant and losing its leaves, bracts, and flowers during the cooler winter months. It prospers best in tropical or semi-tropical environments, and will therefore require lots of water and sunlight whether planted indoors or outdoors.