FAQ on the Bougainvillea

The bougainvillea is a woody, tropical, flowering vine native to South America and frequently grown in warmer climates as a garden plant. Bougainvilleas bloom in various shades of red, orange, purple, yellow and white, depending on the variety, with clusters of small, tubular flowers clustered in bracts that look like papery leaves or petals.

Planting

• Bougainvilleas can droop when transplanted and while they may not die, they may not grow either. Critical to avoiding this problem is disturbing the roots as little as possible when getting them into the ground. A hardy plant, a bougainvillea that survives its first year in the ground usually will thrive from then on.

Care

• Bougainvilleas like full sun and well-drained soil. They benefit from a lot of feeding, but once the roots are saturated the water must drain, as they do not like remaining in standing water. Keeping bougainvillea slightly root-bound and dry will promote vigorous flowering in the spring through fall.

Pruning

• Bougainvilleas respond well to pruning and can be shaped to grow straight up like a tree to provide a privacy screen or coaxed to grow long and low like a shrub. You can even grow them potted indoors, shaped small like a bonsai. Wear gardening gloves when handling their branches as they grow large, sharp thorns.