Bougainvillea

This native of South America is often seen spilling over archways and verandas of adobe homes. You can expect a huge splash of color from this show-stopping tropical vine!

The Sundown Orange ‘Bougainvillea,’ with its long arching and pliable vines, is coveted by bonsai enthusiasts for the way it responds to pruning. This perennial is easily trained; you get to decide the shape and size it will take! If you’d prefer it to be quaint and shrub-like for your patio, it is easily kept compact in container. 

If you have the space for more impact, let it branch out from its container and support it up a wall, or easily drape it over an entranceway. Imagine inviting guests into your home through a bright canopy of color!

This sun-loving vine thrives in hot and sunny conditions and will be evergreen when planted in the ground in warm regions.

This beautiful vine is strong, and its blossoms hang tough through windy weather. It is deer resistant, pest resistant, and handles drought with ease. It is tolerant of most soil types. It needs only good drainage and plenty of sun, and it will supply bloom after bloom of color, bright as a sunset sky!

If you don't live in a warm enough climate to successfully grow bougainvillea outdoors year-round, you're in luck—the shrub is surprisingly easy to grow inside in containers or pots and can thrive and bloom indoors if the right conditions are maintained.

Light: Bougainvillea plants are lovers of sunlight and need full daily exposure to thrive. Another important note: The color saturation of your bougainvillea relates to how much sunlight it gets—more light equals brighter hues.

Watering: Keep your plant evenly moist during the spring, summer, and fall months, and nearly dry in winter (bougainvillea blooms better with drier winter conditions). Water your bougainvillea to saturation, then let the first inch or so of soil dry out before watering again. Too much water can lead to overly-green growth and eventually root rot; too little, and the plant can wilt.

Choose the right pot: When choosing a vessel to plant your bougainvillea in, always opt for a larger size than you think you need. Bougainvillea spreads rapidly and, in suitable environments, will quickly grow into small trees or large shrubs several feet high. To keep things manageable in containers, control the plant's growth with yearly repotting and root pruning in the spring. Once the plant is large enough, aim to repot it every two years.