Bougainvillea blooms so prolifically that it’s been called a “flower machine”. There are hundreds of cultivars and hybrids available in every imaginable color and size, from small to enormous. Here’s everything you need to know about growing these eye-catching shrubby vines in desert gardens.
Bougainvillea is a genus of scrambling, woody vines native to South America, almost exclusively south of the equator. Two species of Bougainvillea (B. spectabilis, B. glabra) are the main source of the hundreds of bougainvillea hybrids and cultivars now available to gardeners.
Bougainvilleas have medium green, oblong leaves. The brightly colored parts that are usually considered flowers are actually modified leaves called bracts. The true flowers are tiny and usually white, and can be found nestled in the bracts.
The bracts come in a rainbow assortment of colors — white, orange, gold, red, magenta, purple, and all shades of pink from delicate to shocking.
These plants need little care and bloom profusely from spring through the first frost. They are semi-deciduous, which means they keep their leaves all year in mild winters, but lose them after the first freeze.
You can plant bougainvillea in the hottest, sunniest spot in your garden — it thrives on neglect. If you pamper it with too much water, shade, or fertilizer, it will grow leaves at the expense of flowers.
Whether you’re going for a tropical, Mediterranean, or Spanish vibe in your garden, bougainvillea fits right in.
Why I Like This Plant
- Prolific bloomer
- Rainbow assortment of vivid colors
- Wide range of sizes
- Once established, thrives on neglect
Things to Watch Out For
Bougainvilleas are messy, shedding paper-thin bracts all year and dropping leaves in the winter.
Pruning is a literal pain since the stems are lined with 1 to 2 inch thorns.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a bougainvillea to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep it healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Bougainvillea should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. This heat-loving plant will thrive in the hottest spot in your garden, even against a sunny, west-facing wall.
Bougainvillea is root hardy down to 20℉, but the foliage and stems suffer cold damage when the temperature dips below 30℉. However, plants quickly rebound in the spring.
Mature plants tolerate cold better than new plants. If you have a newly planted bougainvillea, consider covering it during cold snaps for the first few winters.
Sun Exposure
Bougainvillea is a sun-loving plant that can be grown in full sun. It doesn’t mind the reflected sun off a garden wall or building. It tolerates light shade, but it blooms more profusely in full sun and needs 6 hours of full sun to perform its best.
Size and Growth Rate
Bougainvilleas grow moderately for the first few years, then pick up the pace and grow fast. Their size can vary widely depending on the cultivar. Most species are large and grow 20 to 30 feet if left unpruned. But there are dwarf and semi-dwarf cultivars that stay just a few feet tall and make beautiful container plants.
Soil
Bougainvilleas are not particular about soil. They grow well in any soil — sand, clay, loam, rocky — provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
If you want your full-size bougainvillea to reach maximum height, grow it along a wall, trellis, or arbor for support. If you want to grow yours as a shrub, consider one of the smaller varieties.
Some of the smaller bougainvillea hybrids can be grown in a large container. This will let you move it under cover during freezes.
Pro Tip!
Grow bougainvillea along a sunny garden wall.
It doesn’t mind the heat in the summer,
and the wall will keep it warm in the winter.
Bougainvillea:
The Essentials
Note that many of these variables — color, bloom season, mature size, and cold tolerance — depend on the hybrid.
| Common Name | Bougainvillea |
| Scientific Name | Bougainvillea spp. |
| Origin | South America (cultivars) |
| Plant Type | Semi-deciduous shrub/vine |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 20℉ |
| Flower Color | White, pink, orange, red, magenta, purple |
| Flower Season | All year |
| Mature Size | 2′ to 40′ |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Whitefly, spider mites |
| Cautions | Thorns, litter |
How to Plant
For all their toughness, bougainvilleas are surprisingly tricky to transplant due to their fine, sensitive root system. When removing a bougainvillea from its nursery pot, cut the container away and disturb the root system as little as possible. They readily suffer from transplant shock and can take a long time to recover. And some never do.
The rule of thumb when planting is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper.
Amending the soil is not recommended since bougainvillea performs best in poor soil.
When to Plant
The best time to plant bougainvillea is in April, when the danger of frost has passed, and soil temperatures are heating up. Warm soil is just what these heat-lovers prefer.
How to Care for Bougainvillea
Whether you’ve recently planted a bougainvillea or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your bougainvillea in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here is the recommended watering schedule for new shrubs planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 5 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually revise your watering schedule, depending on the season.
How to Water Established Plants
Once established, bougainvillea needs only occasional watering. Water deeply and then allow it to completely dry out.
To determine the ideal watering schedule for bougainvillea, you’ll find everything you need to know, including easy-to-use charts, at How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much? Since it’s a low water use plant, use the “Low Water Use” schedule.
Counterintuitively, plants bloom best when slightly drought-stressed. Some gardeners recommend waiting until it wilts slightly before watering again.
Should You Fertilize?
Since this plant did not evolve to grow in our desert southwest soil and is a prolific bloomer, it may benefit from a light application of fertilizer in the spring, especially if you grow one in a container. If you do fertilize, use a low-nitrogen fertilizer since too much nitrogen results in more leaves and fewer flowers.
Conversely, you won’t go wrong topdressing with compost instead. It breaks down slowly, improves the soil, protects the roots from temperature extremes, and won’t adversely impact flowering.
Bougainvillea not blooming?
Excess water and fertilizer encourage
leaf growth instead of flowers.
How to Prune
Remove any cold damaged branches in late winter or early spring once the threat of frost has passed.
Bougainvillea responds well to a hard rejuvenation prune. Cut it back to one foot in early spring, at least every 5 years or so.
You can prune again in late summer to shape or control its size. This tough plant tolerates pruning well. When you prune, be careful to avoid getting poked by the thorns.
Pests & Diseases
Bougainvilleas are tough plants that are rarely bothered by pests, but whitefly or spider mite infestations are not unheard of. Blasting the bugs with a jet spray of hose water or spraying them with insecticidal soap will keep their numbers down.
If you see circular cutouts on your bougainvillea’s leaves, it’s the work of leafcutter bees. These non-aggressive, solitary bees are native to the desert southwest. They don’t eat the leaves that they cut — the females use the circles to line their nests. Bougainvillea leaves are among their favorites. These bees are important pollinators that only cause cosmetic damage, so please, “let them be.” 🐝
Bougainvillea Cultivars
When it comes to choosing a bougainvillea, gardeners have a lot of choices. Hybrids differ in size and flower (i.e., bract) color. Some are more shrub-like while others are more vine-like.
Here are a few you may come across when plant shopping, along with their flower color and typical mature size.
- ‘Barbara Karst‘ — magenta, 30 feet
- ‘Orange King‘ — orange, 30 feet
- ‘Purple Queen‘ — purple, 15 feet
- ‘Raspberry Ice‘ — bright pink, 3 feet, variegated leaves
- ‘White‘ – white, 15 feet
- ‘Yani’s Delight‘ – white & pink, 3 feet
All bougainvilleas have similar growing and care requirements, with the exception of ‘Torch Glow‘. It grows as an upright shrub and does not respond well to aggressive pruning. It should not be regularly pruned and should never be hard pruned, which will ruin its unique architectural shape.
Plant Lover Facts
The genus Bougainvillea is named after Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French military officer and explorer. Some sources say he discovered the genus, while others say that it was documented by a botanist on one of his expeditions and named in his honor.
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for over 15 years.
Photo Credits
Bim24, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons thorn
Arizona State University’s Virtual Library of Phoenix Landscape Plants container
“Megachile Centuncularis” by JRxpo is licensed under CC BY 2.0 bee
Harlow Gardens torch