Bougainvillea care
Bougainvillea, also referred to as Paper flower is a native of Brazil and belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family. This tropical climber is ideal for hanging baskets and grown in containers where it can cascade its vibrant blooming vines. The flower is unremarkable compared to the brightly colored, paper-like bracts that surround the flower.
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I have a potted bougainvillea that has lost a lot of leaves and the branches that lost those leaves have dried up and died. It also has a fair amount of new growth in other areas - making the plant quite spotty. (some new growth some dead spots). What should I do so the plant is full of new growth?
Comment by John — 1/27/2007 @ 5:06 pm
Can you share tips on dividing Bougainvillea. Mine is quite large (pot size is 2′ and I am worried it is getting root bound and would like to divide it properly) thanks
Comment by Deanna — 2/5/2007 @ 7:24 am
My very large bougainvillea suffered significant damage from (unusual) frost this winter. When should I prune back the dead branches? Will it survive?
Thank you.
Comment by Carol — 2/23/2007 @ 11:45 am
I am in Phuket, Thailand and would like advice on care of Bougainvillea in this climate which is tropical. I have an automated 10 min twice a day sprinkler system for the garden and the soil has good drainage.
My gardener is watering the leaves of my plants - is this a good idea?
Comment by CAROL — 3/27/2007 @ 1:42 am
my bougainvillea has no new growth at all yet. I live in the central valley of Calif and we did have some unsual low temps this winter. Low 30’s. I did prune it back a few weeks back. I think it might be dead. Anyway of know how to tell???
.Comment by debi — 4/16/2007 @ 4:00 pm
We planted a Bougainvillea last August in our backyard. We live in Mexico in the mountains where there are some very beautiful Bougainvillea plants. It bloomed right away but hasn’t flowered now for some time. It looks like it may have bugs because the leaves do not look healthy-curled and shriveled. However, I did notice that there is some new growth. Should we spray it with a pesticide or leave it and hope for the best.
Comment by Jessica — 4/18/2007 @ 5:38 pm
can you cut off a branch of the bougainvillea and get it to root….what is
the proper way to get it to root from a
cutting? thanks
Comment by carmela nistico — 5/10/2007 @ 8:38 pm
I have a large pot of fuschia boug. that I bring inside every winter. I get two bloomings inside. I took it outside this spring and it is now raspberry/red poppy colored. (Which doesn’t go with my hot pink garden) How do I get the fuschia color back. Miracid? Thanks
Comment by susan wilson — 5/11/2007 @ 10:12 pm
CAN I MIX SOIL AND EPSON SALT AND BUT TO THE ROOT OF THE BOUGAINVILLEA FOR FOOT?
Comment by shirly penn — 5/27/2007 @ 9:09 am
I am trying to pot perfectly red bougainvillea. I’ve been told B. Karst is best and have bought a few. Have noticed that when brackets are young they are red and then mature to a pinker color. Is soil ph an avenue to explore to keep them on the redder side?
Comment by Valerie Bench — 5/30/2007 @ 11:55 pm
I have a Bougainvillea that survived the Katrina flood. It’s been almost 2 years and the plant is bigger and more beautiful than ever. I want to move it to my new house but it is growing in a wooden tub that is about to fall apart. What is the best way to move it. Will I ruin it if I cut it down before transporting? I has spread all over the back yard. I would love to move it as is but it seems impossible. Any suggestions?
Rosemarie, St. Bernard La. Now in Hammond.
Comment by Rosemarie — 6/3/2007 @ 2:13 pm
I have 2 beautiful Bougainvillea, I live in the very north east of Louisiana, can they be planted in the ground? Or do they need to remain in containers?
.Comment by Choochi — 6/10/2007 @ 11:37 am
Please advise me how to get rid of spotted leaves on my lavender bougainvilla, They are yellowish brownish.
I would really appreicate it very much!
Thanks
Helen Dempsey
Look at your plant closely, are the spots tan with reddish margins or reddish -brown with yellow halos that form on the leaf margins and centers? Have you had a lot of rain?
Comment by helen dempsey — 6/10/2007 @ 3:36 pm
Bougainvillea care
We live in Houston, Texas. Our very mature bougainvillea has always bloomed great. But is was getting out of control size wise. I pruned in back hard in late March, after our last freeze. The leaves have all grown back, but no flowers yet (we usually had full flowers by now). Will I get flowers this year? Or did i prune too hard or too late?
Comment by MJF — 6/13/2007 @ 8:05 am
I live in Gujarat, India and i have many bougainvillea in my garden. we are having rainy season at this time of the year. They grew beautifully till this day until my gardener chopped of ALL THE LEAVES AND BRANCHES of the poor plant and all that remains now is the main stem. he said it was necessary for the proper growth. Is it necessary to cut ALL the leaves and branches? or u just need slight trimming? no part of the plant was dead and its growth was excellent. please advise me with what to do.
Thank You.
Comment by Rohan Pandya — 6/30/2007 @ 1:49 am
We have a home Spain where we have for 3 years had two flourishing bougainvillea plants. This year the purple flowered has a white sticky/powdery deposit which then seems to move to the brickwork on which the plant is tied in. Does anyone know what this is and if it is possible to treat it?
Comment by michael carlisle — 7/9/2007 @ 4:35 am
I live in Sonoma Valley and my bougainvillea is planted amongst some very large boulders on the hillside. It gets a bit of water from a drip system and has been doing very well for the two years I have had it. This year it bloomed beautifully but then over the last week the colorful bracts on about 3/4 of the plant have been burnt somehow and are all faded. We did have some mid 90 degree days but I thought they love the heat. I have not fertilized it since early Spring so I’m not sure why the bracts got burnt. Any ideas why? How can I get more flowers (bracts) for the rest of the season? Should I deadhead the burnt bracts? Thanks, Brian
Comment by Brian Brockway — 7/12/2007 @ 9:37 am
I got my bougainvillea in Florida and It was in full bloom. We planted it in the yard in M.S its very tall now but has no flowers what so ever but has alot of large green leaves…and lots of thorns, other than that it looks good! Just no blooms.
Comment by DIANNA — 7/17/2007 @ 5:27 pm
Great site! I live in SW FL, zone 9-10. I want to plant bougainvillea in my sandy backyard soil. Do I need to add potting soil, fertilizer, etc. before putting them in the ground? They will be in full sun in the location I’ve chosen. Thanks! Nina
Comment by Nina — 7/23/2007 @ 5:47 pm
I was given an orange Bourgainvillea and its growing like mad, unfortunately it’s just going straight up without any side branches. Other than that is seems very healthy! Can anyone tell me how to make it into a standard type of shape?
Comment by Nikki — 8/21/2007 @ 1:39 pm
My husband and I bought 4 plants in hanging baskets in Winston Salem, NC. I want to keep them in pots but I am not sure they will grow in this climate. Any help is much appreciated.
Comment by Tammie — 8/26/2007 @ 4:02 pm
Hey, great site. I live in Bali and I have 2 mature Bourgainvilleas which I recently repotted. Unfortunately both have responded badly with all leaves falling off and new ones emerging only to die off a few days later. I think the roots may have been damaged in the repotting exersize. Can anyone offer any advice on how to recover a plant with damaged roots.
Many thanks
Russell
Comment by Russell — 9/11/2007 @ 9:58 pm
Help! I know nothing about gardening and have a beautiful purple Bougainvillea. I’ve had it outside and at one point lost all flowers and some leaves. I fertilized and got on a regular watering cycle and the flowers came back better than ever. I live in Louisville KY and with the weather getting colder I’ve brought the tree inside. After reading all the comments above I realize I’ve probably been over-watering. The flowers and leaves are starting to wilt and drop. I’m not sure what to expect through the winter months and other than scaling back on the water and keeping it in the sun, is there anything else I should do? What should I expect it to look like through the winter? Thank you!
Comment by Melissa — 10/7/2007 @ 7:03 am
I live in Minnesota and bought two beautiful bougainvillea plants this Spring. I’d like to bring them in for the winter. I don’t have a basement and the garage would be too cold. Any suggestions as to how to store them over winter? Should I prune it when I bring it in? Should I put it near a window or should it be dark?
Comment by Diane — 10/23/2007 @ 8:30 am
Comment on Plant & Gardening Tips, for topic: Bougainvillea care
I just wanted to say that these posts about bougainvillea have been so helpful to me. I brought my boug. in for the winter and lost the leaves and it dried out. I found this site while looking for information on what to do for it and have found my answers just by reading other people’s posts. Thank you for such a wonderful resource for hort information!!!
Comment by Kelly — 11/10/2007 @ 9:42 pm
I live 30 miles west of Houston in the Fulshear TX area. In early November ‘07, I purchased 8 beautiful Red Bouganvillea plants already trained up in tree form. Ranging from 6 ft to 3 ft heights. They are in good healthy condition and blooming. They currentlly are in the large plastic containers I purchased them in i.e., 65, 35 and 20 gallon containers per tree size. I want to plant them in the yard in full sun. The grower told me to use super phosphate and Lime to neutralize the alkalinity of the soil in this area to treat the holes for planting. The grower is located over 100 miles from me. Two questions. How exactly do I go about treating the holes for planting and should I wait until spring to transplant them in the ground in this climate area. I still have them in movable state in the pots. Any tips for protecting my investment appreciated.
Comment by Tarry Jackson — 11/12/2007 @ 11:47 am
I live in Southern California. I have a bougainvillea (red) in full sun. It’s at least 30 years old. I tried to get it to extend over a porch area by allowing branches to grow in that direction. After several years, the branches got woody and I get very sparse leaf growth. Can I prune back to the wood on these long branches (maybe 15 ft) to promote growth, or should I cut them off and promote new branches to cover the area I want?
Comment by John Vasi — 12/2/2007 @ 11:43 am
I live in Toronto, brought in my 2 bougs and have off white bracts on a few tips. How do I know what colour they are supposed to be, they were sell-offs. Can I change colour? Or intensify it?
Comment by leigh — 12/15/2007 @ 4:27 pm
I live in Singapore and have got 2 pots of orange bougainvillea plants on my balcony. They get healthy amount of sunlight but are not growing well recently. Despite fertilizing and pruning, the new leaves come out wrinkly and remain so even when they grow bigger. I’m not sure if it’s a problem of over-watering or if there are bugs (no white spots so far though). Pls advise!
Distortion of new growth is usually caused by several factors; aphids, thrips, virus, herbicide or ethylene injury. Check your plants closely for insects. There is also a cucumber mosaic virus that causes the leaves to become distorted and mottled.
Comment by Lee — 2/11/2008 @ 6:55 am
I live in myrtle beach sc.I have my bougainvilles in a pot. when and can i move my plant outside to plant in the ground. I want is to climb on my fence. Also what type of ground should be. Dry or wet. thank you susan
Comment by susan — 2/17/2008 @ 3:46 pm
Bougainvillea care
I am in Orlando, FL. My potted bougainvillea was flowering beautifully until a frost. I moved it into my garage for the cold nights but it still dropped a lot of its blooms and leaves. Now the blooms are coming back, but the leaves don’t seem to be. Should I just leave it alone, or fertilize, or prune, or what?
Comment by Lisa — 2/19/2008 @ 11:26 am
I live in Spain and now have an apartment with a garden. The soil is clay. Our neighbours have several bougainvillea that are only two years old and are thriving and in full flower even though their garden gets just as waterlogged as ours. I have bought six bougainvillea but after two months they have dropped all flowers and leaves and all that is left is three foot stems on each plant.
What do I do now? I would be grateful for any advice.
This is the best site I have come across after days and weeks of searching.
Trish
Comment by TRISH DYNES — 3/1/2008 @ 12:47 pm
Bougainvillea care. I live in San Diego, CA. My bourgainvillea is being eaten by something, perhaps called bourgainvillea looper. What specifically is the best treatment?
Comment by Marcy — 3/15/2008 @ 7:37 am
Hello,
I live in Marseilles, France, and am going to plant some Bougainvilleas into the soil. Would it be OK if I use a trellis or pergola for support, are this plant wind-sustaining? We have strong winds pretty often.
Thank you,Tanya
Comment by Tanya — 3/27/2008 @ 4:42 am
Hi, I live in London, England and I’ve had a 4 foot bougainvillea since last summer. It was fine last year on my south facing balcony (had maximum sunlight all day) and I brought it indoors during the winter, which was all fine. The weather started to get really warm a few weeks ago, so I put it back out on my balcony, unfortunately it then snowed (mad global warming weather!) and I didn’t bring it back inside in time. Now it the plant seems to have dried out and the flowers and leaves are really cripsy (although haven’t dropped off). This was 3 weeks ago and I’ve brought it back inside in a warm and sunny position, been watering it once a week and hoping it will come back. Any ideas? Time to cut it down 2/3 and start again?
Comment by Kellie — 4/9/2008 @ 5:55 am
Hi, I live in center of Florida by the west coast and I want to plant 3 bougainvilleas to cover a chain link fence. My goal is for them to intermingle with each other for a more colorful display. How far apart should I plant them?
Hi Ligia
Comment by Ligia — 4/11/2008 @ 6:04 am
I live outsie of Longview, TX (zone 7)and have just purchased the most beautiful burnt orange (go Longhorns!!) boug. and was wondering if i could plant it in the ground or should I just keep it in a container? The main problem that I have is I don’t have anywhere suitable to store it inside during the winter months. We do get down in the high 20’s and 30’s during the winter. It is so beautiful and I have never seen a boug this color before and I definitely don’t want to lose it.
Comment by April — 4/18/2008 @ 7:53 am
I live in Scotland and I have my bougainvilla in the conservatory, I have noticed that there is small brown spots with a reddish brown colour circling the spots on the leaves I have been doing what the care instructions tell me, please help?
Comment by Julie Romano — 4/20/2008 @ 2:51 am
I have just been given a Bougainvillea About four feet high which deer have munched quite a bit off. Can I cut it down by about half as it will be going in a pot outside my front door in full sun. It will require repotting as it was removed from a huge pot and not doing well. I live in the south of British Columbia so the weather is quite mild. (So far)
Comment by W Brown — 4/21/2008 @ 12:48 pm
I live in Athens Georgia and have just purchased 4 hanging boug. baskets. The temps are supposed to go down to 44 and 42 the next couple of nights. Should I bring the baskets into the garage or will they be OK in those temps? I don’t want them to lose their blooms - they are beautiful right now and we are having warms days.
Comment by Dee — 4/28/2008 @ 5:23 pm