If you want to add vibrant vacation vibes to your outdoor space, you'll love the lush bougainvillea plant. This dazzling tropical vine comes in colors ranging from pale apricot to neon pink. The center blooms are small and white or cream colored, each surrounded by showy, brilliantly colored bracts, or modified leaves. Needless to say, bougainvillea's splashy colors add a wow factor anywhere they grow.
Native to South America, the bougainvillea is tough as nails and thrives in poor soil and high heat (even through droughts if they were established prior). It's an evergreen perennial in USDA Hardiness zones 10 to 11, but it's grown as an annual or a houseplant in colder climates. Many types bloom year-round in frost-free areas.
Surprisingly versatile, the plant can be pruned into a shrub-like form or trained to grow as a hedge or ground covering. Naturally, it's a climbing, woody vine with some varieties reaching more than 30 feet tall. If you're working with a smaller space, bougainvillea can be grown in pots or even hanging baskets. Many types have sharp thorns, so wear gloves when handling this plant; its thorns can cause serious damage if you're not protected (though there are several new cultivars, or cultivated varieties, that are thornless).
Now that you know the basics, learn more about how to care for bougainvillea.
How to Care for a Bougainvillea Plant
Whether you're growing your bougainvillea vine on a trellis or fence, in a pot, or in a hanging basket, it has needs similar to many other tropical plants. It may also need fertilizing more than you're used to with other plants in your collection.
Sunlight
The most important thing to remember is that your bougainvillea needs at least six or more hours of direct sunlight per day. It will not bloom in part shade or shade.
Soil and Water
Bougainvillea blooms thrive in poor soil, but they don't like to stay wet. If yours is planted in the ground, make sure it's a well-drained area where water doesn't pool. If in a pot, don't use a saucer underneath so that your plant can drain fully when you water it. Give it a drink only when the soil has dried out, then water it deeply.
Fertilizer
Bougainvillea is a heavy feeder, so feed it regularly with a general-purpose balanced fertilizer (10-10-10). However, some experts recommend using a fertilizer specially formulated for these plants instead because they have delicate root systems that do best when receiving specific micronutrients, such as iron.
How to Prune a Bougainvillea Plant
You should absolutely prune your bougainvillea to keep it looking vibrant and growing healthily. But we can't stress this enough: Wear heavy gloves, or there will be injuries! The sap also can cause dermatitis in sensitive people. You can prune any time of year to control the size of your bougainvillea or train it up and over a trellis or wall. You also want to prune out any old, woody stems, or it will become a ratty mess of new and old growth that doesn't bloom well. If you live in a warm climate, know that it's a vigorous grower, so you'll need to prune more than once a year.
Bougainvillea Not Flowering? Try This!
Bougainvillea flowers on new wood, which means the more you pinch back new shoots, the more your bougainvillea will branch out and produce flowers. Pinching should be done right after your plant blooms. Use pruning shears to remove a few inches of the soft, growing tips on each stem. Once again: Don't forget to wear gloves!
Occasionally, the plants will produce fast-growing water shoots, which are branches that grow off the main stem. On young plants, these may help them fill in faster; on mature plants, they should be cut off because they don't bloom and detract from your bougainvillea's overall appearance.
Types of Bougainvillea
Fast Growing Trees Bougainvillea 'Barbara Karst'
Brighter Blooms Bougainvillea 'Imperial Thai Delight'
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