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. 
Bougainvillea grows in a tropical climate. They thrive in full sun and heat and bloom best when kept slightly stressed and on the dry side. They are heavy feeders and should be fed regularily with 1/2 strenght fertilizer to keep them blooming all season long.
WINTEROVER BOUGAINVILLEA
Bougainvillea are tropical plants hardy in zone 8-10. It will tolerate temperatures as cool as 30-40 degrees for a short time but will need protection or it can freeze and die.
There are two ways to winterover your bougainvillea indoors
1. Treat it like a houseplant.
Keep it in the coolest, brightestroom in the house (east or north window) with temperatures between 50-60 degrees. If it gets too warm, it will grow but look lanky and pale because of insufficient sunlight. Water less during the winter allowing the soil to dry out between watering and don’t fertilize. You can prune the plant to make it more manageable but major pruning should be done in the spring before new growth starts. It may drop its leaves during this time but the idea is to keep the plant alive till spring.
2. Force it into dormancy.
Bougainvillea can be stored in a basement, garage or dark closet at temperatures above freezing (32F) . Reduce watering, cut back it just enough to make it manageable. With no light and water, the plant will drop all its leaves and go dormant. Check the soil periodically during the winter, watering it a few times just to keep it from completely drying out. Don’t fertilize during this time. In early spring, repot the plant in fresh soil, water thoroughly and bring it to filtered light.
I purchased a bougainvillea and half of it seemed to die. The leaves turned brown and I thought I should prune them. When I cut one of the stems, the inside of the stem was green as if it were still alive. So now I have a plant where half has green leaves and the other half has brown leaves and I have no idea what to do. Help please.
Thanks,
Julie
Left my bougainvillea outside beginning in mid-December and there have been multiple freezes and the soil dried out. Cut back the three potted, pot bound bougainvillea by half today, Feb 12, and am soaking the entire pot today only. All the stems seem flexible and green inside. The bougainvillea will now remain in my sunroom going forward…”when can I expect to see leaves?
Patricia
Is there any hope for a twenty year old bougainvilla which was recently moved from a condo to a retirement home. Blossoms dropped off, then leaves so all that is left is an umbrella of branches.
Senior is watering it to try to bring it back. She is heartbroken. What shall I tell her to do?
Thanks,
Penny corbin
Check the stems, if they are brittle and snap then they are dead.
I live in southwest Utah and so miss my southern California bougainvillea plants. I decided to plant one in a clay pot 2 years ago and move the plant into my garage during our cold winter. The past couple of years, the plant has done very well and blooms beautifully. I moved the plant out of my garage about a month ago and it is growing some leaves but they are lighter yellow/green and you can see the veins. I read that hibiscus food is good for bougs and I mixed some into the soil but the leaves still don’t look vibrant. Just wondering what it needs…thank you so much! Martha
I am in South Spain and bourganvillas grow here with little care. I have some bourganvillas which are very old and after a good prune in Jabuary have done well. The orange and pink are fine,The Traditional purples’ flowers are going brown and dry.ant ideas
I live in Hawaii. I bought three bougainvillea a white, a fuschia and an orange. I put them in the same pot. Had them on the porch and they lost their flowers. Put them in the sun and the flowers came back but the white ones are now pink. What happened and what can I do?
Vivo en Buenos Aires tengo dos buganvillas en el campo donde caen heladas matinales, sólo vengo los fines de semana, hiela que sólo algunos dÃas al año, le coloqué un invernadro plástico pero la temperatura fue templada y quemó los brotes nuevos. cómo debo protejerla, siirve la tela antiheladas permanae¿te hasta la primavera o necesita también el sol en el invierno. gracias, amo mis planr¿tas, una es rosa y otra color marfil, maravillosas!!! Saludos desde Buenos Aires! MarÃa
Hi,
I bought the most beautiful brilliant bright fuschia pink bougainvillea a couple of years ago. It was like the miami pink or temple fire color and it is doing great. Massive and tons of blooms. The only problem is the blooms have changed color. They are now the dark fuschia pink color like the Barbara Karst color. What happened? Is there anything I can put in the soil to get that beautiful bright pink back? Thank you for your help!!
Hi
Help !!!! I have a beautiful bougainvillea growing in the back but now all of a sudden some of the branches have lost their leaves and look like bare sticks. I noticed some flea type insects or fruit fly type insect. We have also had a fair bit of rain.
I also live in the tropical area of Brisbane Australia.
Do I need to use insecticide if so what?
Thanks
Paul
declining bougainvillea
I live in Southern California (Santa Barbara) and I am having trouble with some bougainvillea. My house had a large bougainvillea trained to grow over a door opening. The plant must have been 25 years old or more. It gradually weakened, lost leaves,and was not vigorous. After several prunings and fertilizations, I took it out. About three years ago, I planted two bougainvillea from 5 gallon pots in the same spot. The plants have not died, but will not thrive. I amended the soil when planting, fertilize with cow manure, water frequently enough (I think), but the plants will not grow. Bougainvillea grow wild along the freeways here. I am a fairly decent amateur gardener and have no problem with anything else. The area gets full sun. I have read that bougainvillea do not have stringent soil requirements, but I can only think that it must be a soil problem since the older plant gradually declined. I see no evidence of bugs or disease–just plants that will not thrive in a setting where anything else seems to grow very well. Any ideas?
John
As you noted, Bougainvillea is generally a above average hardy plant and does grow wild in many areas.
I am not sure what else has developed there since your posting.
Obviously you like to have the plant(s) to be around that door and that should be fine if all others are in order:
– Has the water source changed?. have you ever tested the PH of your water?
– Bougainvillea does best in the soil with PH of 6-6.5. You may want to check that out.
– Once a Bougainvillea has been there for more than 20 years, then something drastic must have gradually changed to have killed it. Was it a quick decline (over a couple of months, or a slower gradual process)? Is there another plant/Tree nearby that had since grown and is limiting the Suns exposure here?
– Any chance that perhaps some pets or animals have been using the area around the tree, specially in months leading to the decline of the plant?
– Most probably the “Soil Amendment” that you have done is not done in a large enough volume to have helped if the Soil was the main or major reason, as the new ones are not doing much better.
-To fertilize a Bougainvillea, you are best to start it (as directed ) with “Bougain 6-8-10 Plus Minors”. You could order that online through Home Depot. While bougainvillea is a heavy feeder it can mange with less than desired food but does not do good with too much fertilizer, later on as the plant is established(after 1.5-2 years) you may not have to rely on a specialty fertilizer, and do what you have been doing (cow manure, etc.).
– I wonder if you had a chance or did take some cuttings from the old plant before it was all thrown away, to use and propagate (grow some new plants from it). It is not very hard to have that done, just check online.
Good luck, and perhaps you could let me see some pictures of the large old one if you have any.
Steve
I’m so glad you asked this question Patricia. I have 2 very large bougainvillea growing in very large, heavy pots—there is no way I could move them. I pretty much set my mind to the fact that they are going to die this winter (as another one did that I had several years ago) and I will have to buy 2 more next spring. I live outside of Sacramento—it can get quite cold here in the winter (several/many days of frost). I covered my last bougainvillea, but must no have done it correctly—-it was deader than dead in the early spring. I hope someone has suggestions ~
I have a large bougainvillea growing outside. It is too large for me to move. How can I protect it during the winter? Any advice will be appreciated.
I have a Bougainvillea with multicolored foliage–green and white, pure white, and red and white. The red leaves are down to one or two on the entire plant. Is there anything I can do to encourage the return of the red color. Is it a product of acidity, a mineral that should be coming from a fertilizer or a combination of other things? I have started this plant from cuttings but it’s a little harder to start than other varities. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. David Cayton
I have planted eight bougainvillea “Taormina Glabra” plants that have taken well on a south facing enclosed wall. I am concerned about loosing them to frost this winter! I live in the Isle of Wight UK. I have put light felt blankets over them as a precaution can you tell me if this is correct and how should they be fitted over the plants. At the moment they are foxed to the wall and drapped over the plant.
Hi Brian I too live on the I O W I went to one of the local nurseries the other day to ask if I could buy and was toldthey do not sell them as they will not grow here. Can you please let me know where you got yours from you can reach me on 07747403313 thanku caroline
Leaf drop
We gave our Uncle a potted Bougainvillea. Came back a few weeks later and it looks like its dead. Leaves are falling off and it is woody. He lives in Sacramento, CA. Can we prune it now and will it get new growth.
I just bought myself a Bougainvillea, i never had one before. Can someone tell me if i need another one for pollination?? I live in Wisconsin & the winters are very long & cold here. Can anyone tell me if they can mix in their colors if you have more than one?? Thank You for your kindness & time, my plant is a fushia color..
Hi. I live in So Cal. The air is usually in the 60-80’s, during the day and 50-70’s at night and we get extremes 50’s to 110 degrees. The place I want to plant this in the ground is under my house eave (2-3 ft wide). this side of the house gets lots of sun but it’s under the eave and there is shade there. I this not OK?
What is the best fertilizer to use for Bougainvilles? What concentration (and/or percentages) of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and magnesium??
Do you have any suggestions as to manufactorers of the fertilzer to help the boost blooms??
Thanks very much.
Thomas
Hardiness
I got a bougainvillea this weekend and planted it. I live in NC. Should I have not done this? Everyone is talking about theirs in pots.
I live in Houston which occasionally gets a freeze so I take my plants inside if they are in pots. My plant did the same a year ago and started getting foliage at the end of spring and beginning of summer. A strange thing however: water doesn’t seem to adversely impact flower growth here. My next door neighbor waters her bougen pots every couple of days and they are blooming with good foliage. Make sure you give them bougen food.
Hi Christine,
I came looking for answers to the same question but first I have to say congratulations on your blooms! I bought my plant at the end of last year, actually I rescued it from Wal-mart because it was in the Clearance section and was very neglected and it was not in bloom. I have kept it indoors throughout the winter, (I’m in Canada) in a spot where it gets constant light but only direct sunlight for a few hrs a day. I water only when it dries out as instructed. I suggest you STOP WATERING! They don’t like too much water. Now with the warmer weather approaching, repot in new soil and put it outside.
Good luck! I’m looking forward to mine blooming this year!
I have a beautiful bougainvillea that was brought inside over the winter and did very well. It stopped flowering but the leaves looked nice. Well now it is flowering like crazy but the leaves look wilty and are falling off. I am watering, haven’t moved the plant and I just don’t know what the problem could be considering the number o blooms on it. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Christine