Planting and Caring for your Bougainvillea

About the Bougainvillea Plant

There is simply so much to like about the Bougainvillea! Whether grown as a vine, shrub or tree, the vibrant blooms make a beautiful addition to your landscaping… or hanging basket if you prefer! In fact, Bougainvilleas can be grown in containers, as a hedge, a vine, ground cover or trained as a standard, upright plant. Likewise, they look great draping over a wall or as a backdrop to other flowers in the flower bed. A perennial, Bourgainvillea is recognized as a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ plant, too.

Bougainvillea blooms include outer paper-like leaves (or “bracts”) in red, purple, pink, white, orange and yellow surrounding a small, inner white or cream flower. You’ll also find multiple variegated cultivars, too (see below).

Bougainvillea plants feature two growth cycles. The vegetative phase sees the arrival of new leaves and stem growth. The blooming phase then lasts four to five weeks (or longer under the best growing conditions). Bougainvillea typically reach six to ten feet though 20’ is not uncommon when not pruned or trimmed. Dwarf varieties of two to three feet are quite popular as well and are ideal for hanging baskets.

Where to Plant Bougainvilleas

Bougainvilleas require well-drained soils with acidity of 5.5 to 7. They thrive in full, direct sunlight though anywhere with less than five to six hours per day is not recommended. Outside, Bougainvilleas are commonly planted in pots, raised beds and in-ground.

When grown as a shrub, plant the Bougainvillea four to five feet away from sidewalks, walkways or driveways to allow room for growth (and to prevent contact with thorns). When planting as a hedge, a distance of three to five feet apart is suggested. And as a vine, plant three to five feet apart but as close to the fence, lattice or supporting structure as practical.

Remember, the more sun the better for maximum blooms!

Planting your Bougainvillea

When planting your Bougainvillea, dig the hole slightly larger than the root ball. Importantly, make sure that the top of the root ball is level with or just slightly higher than the surrounding ground. Mix compost or other soil enhancement into the bed. Carefully remove the Bougainvillea from the container and gently tease the root ball to enable it to better spread within the bed. Place in the hole, backfill firmly and water thoroughly. Add a layer of mulch to preserve moisture and suppress weeds. If your Bougainvillea is intended as a vine, use plant ties to carefully secure it to the supporting structure.

You may also plant your Bougainvillea “in the pot.” When doing so, cut large holes in the sides of the container to accommodate drainage and to allow the roots to escape as the plant grows. Planting in this manner both protects the root system from initial “transplant shock” and can offer long-term enhanced blooming by “stressing” the root.

Caring for your Bougainvillea

Once planted, make sure to deeply water your Bougainvillea on a regular basis. Always check to make sure the soil is dry first as overwatering can result in root rot and/or leaf drop. Once established, only water every seven to 14 days. Remember that established Bougainvillea plants are drought resistant and thrive in drier soils.

Fertilize every four to six weeks during the blooming season using a slow-release fertilizer. Consider a Bougainvillea-specific fertilizer (i.e., Bougain 6-8-10) formulated to maximize performance. Other acceptable fertilizers include balanced mixes like 6-6-6 or blooming fertilizers such as 2-10-10. Always remember that over fertilizing (or fertilizing at the wrong time) will result in excess stem and leaf growth rather than more blooms. Importantly, your Bougainvillea will not require feeding during the off-season.

For maximum bloom and growth, prune your Bougainvillea during late spring or early fall. Remove dead or diseased branches and trim the ends of healthy branches to encourage new growth. Desired shaping can be achieved with proper and regular pruning. As a note, always wear gloves, as these plants have thorns!

In the event of frost, protect your plants with frost cloth or plastic sheeting.

Pest Control

Locally, Bougainvillea plants are commonly susceptible to the Bougainvillea Looper. Treatment includes rotating between applications of Sevin® and BT’s (DiPel®, XenTari®or Thuricide® per manufacturers’ instructions. Likewise, other pests include aphids, mealybugs and spider mites, all of which can be treated with Neem Oil or insecticidal soap.

Varieties of Bougainvillea

Like many plants, there are multiple varieties and cultivars of Bougainvillea to consider. These include: 

  • Barbara Karst features bright red bracts known for a lengthy blooming season
  • Purple Queen® with rich, deep purple bracts
  • Hybrid Afterglow offers a heavy bloom of yellow-orange bracts that are more visible due to its sparse foliage
  • Hawaii (aka Raspberry Ice) is one of the heartiest and features red blooms w/leaves having golden yellow margins
  • James Walker offers red-purple blooms
  • Miami Pink is dark pink and ideal for landscaping
  • The Tropical Bouquet is compact and bushy
  • California Gold features gold to yellow bracts and can climb to 30’
  • Pink Pixie is ideal for hanging baskets
  • The Helen Johnson is red and pink (dwarf)
  • Crimson Jewel is pink and orange (dwarf)
  • Oo-La-La® is a purple dwarf

Conclusion

The beautiful Bougainvillea is ideal for our subtropical Florida climate. With its multiple colors and versatility in where it’s planted, make sure to consider it as part of your landscape and flower bed design. You… and your neighbors will be glad you did!


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