How to grow bougainvillea

Indeed, in the UK, bougainvilleas are often sold as house plants, usually trained around a hoop of wire or on a frame. However, they can also be grown as a bush, up a wall or over an arch. Bougainvilleas need plenty of room to grow and can easily reach 2m in height. Compact varieties, which grow to around 1m high and work well as bushes or even in a hanging basket, are available.

Jump to...

• Planting bougainvillea
• Caring for bougainvillea
• Pruning and training bougainvillea
• Propagating bougainvillea
• Pests and problem-solving
• Where to buy bougainvillea
• Best bougainvilleas to grow

Where to grow bougainvillea

Bougainvillea needs full sun and can be grown in a frost-free place by a window, in a conservatory or heated greenhouse. Bougainvillea plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 2°C, but the ideal temperature during winter is 7-10°C. At temperatures below 10°C but above freezing, bougainvilleas may drop some or all of their leaves, but growth will resume as temperatures rise again. Those in pots that can be moved will benefit from spending the summer outdoors in the garden where they should be given a sunny and sheltered spot, but then moved indoors for winter.

Bougainvillea stems are thorny, so bear this in mind when choosing where to grow it.

When to plant bougainvillea

The best time to plant bougainvillea is in spring or early summer, when it's warm. This also gives the plant time to grow and establish before the weather gets colder.

How to plant bougainvillea

Bougainvillea plants are often sold in small pots so it's best to repot them into a larger pot as soon as you can, around 25-30cm in diameter. Soak the roots in a container of water for an hour or so before removing the old pot and planting the bougainvillea in its new container.

Use a good quality, peat-free multi-purpose potting compost. Part fill the container and place the plant so the top of the compost is couple of centimetres below the rim of the new pot. When filling around the roots with compost, firm it very gently. Water thoroughly so the compost settles and top up if necessary if any of the root ball is exposed.

Bougainvillea can also be planted into greenhouse borders. Dig in well-rotted compost or organic matter before planting. As with containers, plant bougainvillea so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.

How to care for bougainvillea

In this Golden Rules video, Charlie Clarke of Westdale Nurseries reveals his three top tips on caring for a bougainvillea:

Watering and feeding bougainvillea

Seasonally adjusting the level of watering and feeding is important for success with bougainvilleas. In spring, increase the frequency of watering to twice or three times a week, depending on outside temperatures. Take care not to over-water bougainvilleas as they suffer if their roots are waterlogged. It’s best to water thoroughly and then allow the plant to almost dry out before watering again. In autumn, reduce the frequency of watering as growth slows.

Start feeding bougainvilleas once a week from mid-spring until mid-autumn. Apply a liquid fertiliser high in nitrogen to encourage leafy growth, then, when there’s plenty of growth and the bracts are developing, switch to a fertiliser that's high in potash (such as tomato fertiliser) which will boost growth and intensify the colour of the bracts.

Pinch off faded and dead bougainvillea flowers back to where they joined the stem, which will encourage new flowers.

Pruning and training bougainvillea

The main time to prune bougainvillea is late winter to early spring, around the end of February. Bougainvilleas bear flowers on the current season's growth, which is why it's important to prune before growth begins. Start by removing any dead, damaged or diseased growth. Cut back to a bud or leaf joint.

Next prune back any shoots that are outgrowing their space, cutting back to a bud or leaf joint. If the plant is congested, remove some of the older shoots where they join the main stem.

During the growing season if the plant is outgrowing its site, light pruning can be done after each flush of flowers. Always wear gloves to protect your hands from the thorns.

How to care for bougainvillea over winter

Despite being tender plants, bougainvillea will survive winter in the UK if they are kept at the right temperature and watered correctly.

• From autumn onwards, only occasional watering is required – generally around once a fortnight but check the moisture level of the compost to make sure it’s not too damp or too dry. From November water once a month, but give plants a good soak when you do water.
• Make sure temperatures in the greenhouse or conservatory don't drop below 10ºC.

Pests and diseases

Bougainvilleas are largely trouble-free as long as they are given the right growing conditions.

Leaves that become yellow or pale in colour may be a sign of overwatering. Make sure water can freely drain from the compost and allow the compost to almost dry out between waterings. When in doubt, put a finger in the compost to test the level of moisture.

Unhealthy, pale-looking, or mottled growth on bougainvilleas growing indoors, in greenhouses or conservatories, is likely to be caused by scale insect or red spider mite. Often the first sign of a pest problem is a sticky substance that falls from the leaves onto the surface below. This is known as honeydew and is exuded by aphids and other sap suckers. The brown scales of scale insect can be found under leaves or in leaf joints, while red spider mite is barely visible to the naked eye and causes the leaves to mottle. Tiny webs can be found on the leaf undersides too. Both pests can be combatted with a biological control, but increasing humidity can also prevent attack. Misting can help increase humidity.

Alan Titchmarsh offers advice on dealing with mealy bug on bougainvillea in this video.

How to propagate bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is hard to grow from cuttings, but if you fancy having a go, take cuttings of healthy young shoots in spring. Cuttings should be around 8cm long. Dip the base in hormone rooting powder, put in a small pot of moist cuttings compost and place in a heated propagator.

Bougainvillea varieties to grow

Garden centres usually offer a small selection of bougainvilleas. Specialist nurseries that supply plants by mail order will offer a much wider range.

Bougainvillea ‘Pedro’ is a compact bougainvillea with fewer thorns than the species. It bears clusters of tiny white flowers surrounded by brick-red bracts. Height x Spread: 1.5m x 1.5m

Bougainvillea ‘Show Lady’ bears clusters of tiny white flowers surrounded by white bracts. H x S:
5m x 5m

Bougainvillea ‘Snow Purple’ bears clusters of tiny white flowers surrounded by delicate pink-purple bracts. H x S: 5m x 5m

Bougainvillea ‘Temple Fire’ is a dwarf bougainvillea, bearing masses of bright fuchsia-pink bracts.
H x S: 90cm x 1m

Bougainvillea glabra has cultivars with flowers that come in shades of pink, purple and red. H x S: 4m x 2.5m

Bougainvillea 'Scarlet O'Hara' is a vigorous grower with deep red to magenta bracts that will brighten any conservatory. H x S: 5m x 5m

Frequently asked questions

What are the pros and cons of bougainvillea?

The pros of growing a bougainvillea is it is fast growing and provides bright colour for months in a conservatory or greenhouse, or even outdoors during the summer. The cons include the fact that it's tender and won't survive in temperatures below 10ºC, so those without a heated greenhouse or conservatory won't be able to grow it through the winter. It is also thorny, which makes it hard to prune.

Do bougainvillea grow better in pots or in the ground?

In the UK, it's easier to grow bougainvillea in pots as they don't thrive in low temperatures. Growing this plant in containers means that you can move bougainvillea to a south-facing spot outdoors for summer. You can then move it back into a greenhouse or conservatory for winter. Alternatively, grow bougainvilleas indoors year-round. It's easier to manage their watering and care when growing them in large pots.