What does “capullo” mean in Spanish?

She brought a little bougainvillea plant home and waited half a year. Then she says “salió un capullo” — a bud came out. A “capullo” is that tight, closed bump on a stem just before it opens into a flower. You can hear the excitement: this tiny bud is the first sign that the colorful blooms she dreamed of are finally on their way.

Spoken line: “finalmente, salió un capullo” — “finally, a bud came out.” A “capullo” is a flower bud: the small, closed shape before it opens. Examples: “El rosal tiene muchos capullos” (The rose bush has many buds). “El capullo se abrió esta mañana” (The bud opened this morning). “Todavía es un capullo, aún no florece” (It’s still a bud, it hasn’t bloomed yet). You’ll hear “capullo” for flower buds across the Spanish-speaking world. Note: in some places it can also be a rude insult for a person, so context matters — here it clearly means a plant bud.