Bougainvillea. A beauty with a bite.

We have several bougainvillea plants in our yards. They are fantastic wall growers, screen plants, and very hardy. We're on black sandy earth (beach), which narrows our choice when it comes to planting colourful blooms.
This particular bougainvillea is a raspberry ice, which provides a brilliant display of colour when in bloom. It appears to be very happy in its spot, therefore growing very quickly, and requiring a harsh and brutal trim back each year. Each time I do, it gets its revenge on me by stabbing me with its somewhat hidden, yet awfully painful and large, thorns. They're often hidden under the leaves, so just when you think you've handled the cut leaves with care, it proves you wrong. Gloves are often no match for this thorny species.