When he began collecting heaps of uprooted bougainvillea plants dumped along the roadside and loading them onto his vehicle, Siji drew ridicule from friends and family alike. They saw it as yet another way of wasting money. Having already suffered losses from ventures like vegetable farming and bio-floc fish farming, Siji knew their doubts were not entirely misplaced. Yet this time, his effort did not wither away like before. Instead, the experiment blossomed into a thriving nursery, carefully nurtured by his wife, Shyama.

A native of Alappuzha and an employee with the Legal Metrology Department, Siji has always had a passion for farming, often investing generously in it. However, many of his earlier ventures failed, largely because his professional commitments left him with limited time to tend to them. His interest in multi-grafted bougainvillea was sparked after he came across them on social media. Around the same time, the widening of the national highway in Alappuzha led to the uprooting of bougainvillea plants that had grown into small trees along the roadside. Siji hired a vehicle and, with the help of friends, collected the entire lot from the stretch between Aroor and Kayamkulam.

Many of the plants had thick stems, ranging from one to ten inches in diameter. They were cut to heights of one to four feet and planted in pots. Once they took root, multi-coloured bougainvillea varieties were grafted onto them. Within six months, the plants flourished, forming umbrella-like clusters of vibrant blooms. Flower enthusiasts soon began visiting, eager to purchase them. As demand grew, Shyama expanded the nursery, cultivating hundreds of plants, including several high-value varieties.

Bougainvillea holds a special place in the hearts of Malayalis. In reality, the flowers themselves are small and what we admire are the colourful bracts that surround them. Earlier, only a single local variety bloomed once a year. Today, however, numerous hybrid varieties from countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand bloom almost throughout the year, Shyama explains. Their leaves are often as striking as their flowers. Her collection includes thornless varieties as well as variegated ones with patterned foliage.

The most sought-after plants are those with sturdy local rootstocks, grafted with three or four multi-coloured hybrids. Bark grafting, where the bark is carefully cut and hybrid shoots are attached to the sides of the stem, is the preferred method. Shyama’s nursery now features over 40 hybrid varieties, including the peach-toned Bress, the colour-changing Maharani, Magic Ice Cream, Golden Buttercup, Lady Sira and Golden Rao, each captivating buyers in its own way. Saplings can be propagated through bark grafting or layering, though grafting ensures faster growth.

Bougainvilleas require minimal care, which adds to their popularity. Siji notes that they need regular watering during the summer and protection from heavy rain. While hybrid varieties bloom almost year-round, their peak flowering season is from November to May, with July and August reserved for preparing new blooms. Shyama’s plants are priced between Rs.250 and Rs.8,000, with multi-coloured grafted varieties fetching higher rates. A former teacher, she now earns more each month from bougainvillea than she did in her previous profession, with most of her sales driven through social media.