read the arcanum to growing bougainvillea vine and be rewarded with a profusion of vibrant bracts .
If you ’re looking for ahardy tropic vinewith lots of people of color , you ’ve found it . Bougainvillea is a tough - as - nails plant , and that includes its nail - alike thorns . The vine ’s hardiness is equilibrize by its beauty . Bougainvillea puts on a dramatic show of colouring in outpouring with reinvigorated unexampled ontogeny .
What many people think of as the blooms of bougainvillea are n’t blooms at all . The sporty newspaper publisher - alike social organization are modified leaves call bracts . These bract hide the flowers inside , which are small and horn - shape in nuance of white and yellow . Bougainvillea is a prima option for gardens lacking height , as the works grows up to an astounding 40 feet .
Credit: Ed Gohlich
While bougainvillea is a relativelylow - maintenance works , it favors sure conditions . Here ’s everything you take to know to grow bougainvillea , from where to plant it to how to keep the color coming twelvemonth after year .
Where to Plant Bougainvillea
As a tropical industrial plant , bougainvillea thrives in red-hot , dry climates . Inareas colder than Zone 9 , it ’s turn as an yearly or container works . The woody climbing iron does well next to a fence or a trellis when sited in a garden .
How and When to Plant Bougainvillea
Plant bougainvilleas 6 to 9 feet apart in well - enfeeble soil and aside from other industrial plant to give it room to develop . Because the industrial plant has sharp thorns , it should be situated several foot away from walkways and other heavily trafficked areas . bound or summer is the best time to embed bougainvillea , as the prison term frame allows the vine to modernize a strong radical system of rules before nerveless weather returns at the last of the year .
Bougainvillea Care Tips
Here ’s everything you want to have it off to keep the vine healthy and blooming .
Light
Bougainvillea need quite a little of sun . Some miscellanea can handle part sun but wo n’t perform as well as they could infull sun . In less than full Sunday , bougainvillea will be much more thin and have a less spectacular flower show , if any at all . Keep the bougainvillea in full sun for maximum bloom and the longest flower period .
Soil and Water
If you plant bougainvillea in the primer coat , select an surface area withwell - drain stain . The vine does n’t like to continue wet for long . This plant care dry soil , so confine tearing to every three or four weeks , but water profoundly . If you have n’t had a significant show of blooms , give your works a drouth period by withholding tax water . This can sometimes play a joke on bougainvillea into a sleeping period and gun trigger blooming .
If you ’re using bougainvillea as anindoor houseplant , plant it in moist , well - draining pot soil and keep it mostly dry during winter .
Temperature and Humidity
Outdoors , bougainvillea performs considerably when the temperature is at least 60 ° farad . It tolerates temperature as high-pitched as 95 ° F and boom in teetotal status .
When bougainvillea grow as a houseplant , it like high humidity of about 50 % during the blooming menstruation and low-spirited humidness during the wintertime .
Fertilizer
Bougainvillea is a heavy feeder . inseminate the plantmonthly during its active growing time of year . Scratch agranular fertilizerinto the dirt and body of water well . If you ca n’t discover a consecrate bougainvillea fertiliser , use a10 - 10 - 10 cosmopolitan - purpose fertiliser .
Pruning
If your bougainvillea is getting out of hand , prune in the spill before a fresh growth cycle and periodically trim down rangy stem as needed throughout the twelvemonth .
Pests and Problems
The biggest threat to bougainvillea flora in the garden is the appropriately key out bougainvillea caterpillar . This 1 - in caterpillar dines on the plant ’s foliage , leaving it looking ragged . You in all likelihood wo n’t see this pestilence because it falls to the ground when you touch the plant . If you see leaves that have been munched on , deal bougainvillea with B thuringiensis .
you’re able to also pick off bougainvillea caterpillars by hand or spray the full plant withneem oilto control the pests .
Training Bougainvillea
When seem for a home for your bougainvillea , think abouthow you be after to train it . This vigorously growing plant can quick take over a wall or garden area , but it ’s possible to train and keep bougainvillea to jibe the desired mise en scene . The vine grows well in container , educate as a bush , or sprawling as groundcover .
take a stocky , midget var. of bougainvillea when using it as a groundcover .
Because of bougainvillea ’s woody habit and vigorous increment , the plant lends itself well to manipulation . The most common is to allow the vine to climb walls and treillage , specially in tropic sphere where the plants are fearless . This is the childlike way of life to expose the beautiful blooms of bougainvillea .
Credit: Jeffrey Rycus
The plant can also beused in hanging basketswith minimal fear . Because bougainvillea does n’t have tendrils , it demand some wheedle , but no training is necessary as a hanging basket plant .
How to Propagate Bougainvillea
Propagating from cuttingsis the most common way to produce more bougainvillea plants . Here are the steps :
Types of Bougainvillea
While hot pink bougainvillea is immediately recognizable , the vine produces a broad kind of colored bract . It ’s also potential to find out case that produce slimly smaller , ideal for mild - sized backyards .
‘Barbara Karst’
Bougainvillea‘Barbara Karst ’ is a especially pop variety that produces large clusters of red bract throughout summer and fall . It climbs to 40 foot and is hardy in Zones 9 - 11 .
‘California Gold’
Bougainvillea‘California Au ’ is one of the best - perform yellow - flowering bougainvillea variety . It begin blossom as a immature works and grow warm icteric bract on and off throughout the year . It mount to 30 invertebrate foot in Zones 9 - 10 .
‘Juanita Hattan’
Bougainvillea‘Juanita Hatten ’ offer fleeceable leaf dotted with gold and bluff fuchsia - pink flowers in summer . It rise to 20 feet and is hardy in Zones 9 - 10 .
‘Sundown Orange’
Bougainvillea‘Sundown Orange ’ offers bract that begin deep orange , fade to coral , and get on to salmon pinko . It blooms in summer and rise 20 substructure tall in Zones 9 - 11 .
‘Sunvillea Rose’
good manners of the Tropical Plant Industry Exp
For those who want the look of a bougainvillea without the urban sprawl , this midget miscellany is a right option . ‘ Sunvillea Rose ’ pass out at only 3 fundament improbable , making it a colorful contender for container or small yards . It comes in this pink hue as well as cream .
Frequently Asked Questions
Bougainvillea plant life make marvellous topiaries . create tall topiary industrial plant with minimum effort is light since bougainvillea is so fast - growing . On a modest scale , bougainvillea can make stunning bonsai specimen , but it want relentless clip over several geezerhood .
In general , bougainvillea blooms best with lineal sunlight and shorter day . However , you’re able to increase blooms by plant bougainvillea in well - draining soil , water it infrequently , fertilise it meagrely , and pinching the tips to further novel emergence .
While bougainvillea need consistently moist soil while it ’s getting established , once it ’s mature , it ’s capable to stand firm drought . That makes it a popular choice for tot up a big belt of color in dry part .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Bougainvillea usually blooms with two or three years of planting , but it takes three to five years to reach adulthood and produce its full foliation .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit:courtesy of the Tropical Plant Industry Exp
