Bougenville can be found as a garden plant, pergola, and ornamental hedge. The plant that Antonie de Bougenville found in Brazil in the middle of the seventeenth century can filter out dust and ash. When it rains, ash and dust that have been trapped in the plant canopy are released. Additionally, sound can be muffled by common varieties of Bougenvilia spectabilis (purple) and B. glabra (red) by way of wave absorption through leaves, branches, and twigs.