Bougainvillea blooms come in purple, red, orange, white, pink and yellow. But those blooms actually aren't blooms at all. The paper-like structures are a modified leaf called a bract that hides bougainvillea's true flowers: small, trumpet-shaped blooms of white and yellow.
Botanical Name: Bougainvillea
Common Name: Bougainvillea
Bloom Time: Year-round
Hardiness Zones: Perennial in Zones 9 to 11 and can be grown as an annual in colder areas
- Bougainvillea needs lots of sun. Plant one in a shady spot and you won't get the riot of blooms — the whole point of planting bougainvillea. You'll get vines and thorns. It needs at least six hours of sun per day.
- The soil must be well-drained soil. They don't like to remain wet for too long and can get root rot in heavy soil. They like gritty, loose soil.
- Handle the root ball with care. Bougainvillea roots are thin and can be easily damaged during transplanting.
- Water after planting and then weekly until the plant is established. Once it's established (which generally takes one to two years), stop watering it except in times of extreme drought. Bougainvillea likes it dry.
Caring for Bougainvillea
- Prune your plant throughout the year, but especially in the late winter before the new growth cycle. For best bloom, trim all branches back to 20 feet or less. Bougainvillea blooms on new growth, so you can prune after each bloom cycle.
- Pinch off the ends of vines that are about to bloom. You'll get a denser display of bracts.
- If you're getting regular rain once the vine is established, you don't need to water. Bougainvillea likes it dry. It prefers a good, deep watering every three or four weeks to frequent shallow waterings. Give a bougainvillea too much water and it can get fungal diseases and root rot.
- Bougainvillea blooms better when kept on the dry side. Too much water will give you lots of green growth and fewer flowers. Keep it dry.
- Cold is a problem. These tropicals don't like to go below 30 degrees. They can withstand one or two nights of a light freeze but anything more and they'll die. Established vines can stand up to a periodic cold snap better than recently planted ones.
- Don't fertilize it. This tough plant doesn't need it. But do feed the soil around it with compost. A 3-inch layer of compost in the spring is plenty. If you must fertilize, use a palm and hibiscus food. BOUGANBILLIA PLANT SUPPLIER MEDIAN PLANT BOGANVELLIA Delhi Mumbai
