Plant Picks: Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a vibrant, drought-resistant evergreen vine, with colorful flower bracts that bloom all summer! This plant thrives in warm climates and loves well-drained soil, so it's a great choice for brightening your Florida landscape. Let's find out more about this cheery, easy-to-grow plant.

Bougainvillea Overview

Bougainvillea is native to Central and South America. It grows in USDA hardiness zones 9-11. In colder climates, bougainvillea can be planted in a container and brought indoors during cold weather.

Although not native to Florida, bougainvillea is not considered invasive. However, the plant's vigorous growth periods are best kept under control with regular pruning, to ensure that this beautiful plant stays where you want it.

The many varieties of beautiful bougainvillea showcase colorful bracts - that is, modified leaves that look like flowers - in a wide variety of colors. The bracts themselves contain tiny white flowers, dwarfed by the colored bracts. Bougainvillea blooms add instant curb appeal and will brighten your landscape year-round.

Landscaping Uses for Bougainvillea

The bougainvillea vine is a quick climber. Its vigorous growth will quickly cover fences or trellises, or climb trees. It looks lovely cascading down from the top of a wall, and can even be left to grow as a freestanding, sprawling shrub.

Dwarf varieties make striking groundcover. Bougainvillea also works well as a container plant, particularly in North Florida, where it can be moved indoors or to a very sunny spot during cooler weather.

How to Grow Bougainvillea in a Garden Bed

Location

Bougainvillea grows best in direct sunlight or with some light shade. This plant prefers the warm climate of Central and South Florida. It grows best in well-draining soil. Bougainvillea prefers acidic soil. While alkaline soils can sometimes be modified to lower the pH, if you have alkaline soil it may be most effective to grow bougainvillea as a container plant using a suitable acidic soil.

Water

Bougainvillea is a fairly drought-tolerant plant and can survive in hot, dry conditions. However, it will flower best with plenty of sunlight and regular watering. Be sure to allow time for soil to dry between waterings, to avoid fungal growth and root rot.

Care

Bougainvillea responds well to regular trimming with pruning shears. Removing new shoots as they form helps to keep your bougainvillea vine under control. It will also permit the plant's energy to maximize structural growth in the main plant. Other than regular pruning, bougainvillea is a fairly low-maintenance plant once established.

How to Grow Bougainvillea in a Container

Choosing a Suitable Container

Bougainvillea plants have delicate roots, which means it's traumatic for them to be repotted. With this in mind, choose a container of a suitable size to account for future growth. Unlike many other plants, bougainvillea does better if it is allowed to be rootbound rather than being frequently transplanted to a larger container.

Again because of those sensitive roots, it's important to choose a container with plenty of drainage holes. Dampness can cause root rot; your bougainvillea needs dry soil to grow healthy.

In terms of soil types, choose a rich potting mix with plenty of compost. Combine potting compost with an amendment material such as sand or perlite to improve drainage.

Location

If you plan to grow your bougainvillea in a container outdoors, simply choose a location in full sun - that is, a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.

The advantage of using a container is that your delicate plant can be brought indoors during the winter months. Bougainvillea will not thrive and may even die if left outside in temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Because of the high level of sunlight it requires, growing bougainvillea indoors can be a challenge. However, if it is placed in a conservatory or greenhouse, or close to a very sunny window, it may be possible for this beautiful vining shrub to grow as a house plant.

For help with your bougainvilleas, or advice in general about landscaping and garden maintenance, get in touch with the local professionals at LawnMore Gainesville!

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