It is one of the most successful climbing shrubs in hot climates thanks to its spectacular size and its great ornamental value. They are exceptional plants for covering pergolas, but they can also be kept in pots and even made into small trees.
Read on to find out how to care for a bougainvillea.
This incredible plant is native to the tropical forests of South America. It can grow to a height of about 12 metersbut as we said, if that height is excessive, you can cut it without problems whenever you see it necessary.
Its leaves are evergreenbut if the winter is cold with thermometers that drop below 5 degrees, you can lose them. On the other hand, if you live in a tropical or mild climate, it will keep them throughout the year.
Bougainvillea is a lover of the sun, therefore, We will put it in a place where it receives as much direct sunlight as possibleeven if you are going to have it indoors, otherwise it will not flourish.
During the entire growing season, that is, from spring to the end of summer (and it can reach autumn in some parts of the Canary archipelago and in the Mediterranean region) it is due to water two to three times a weekespecially if it is potted. You can add a fertilizer for flowering plants to the irrigation water every 15 days, or use any type of natural fertilizer. In winter we will water between 1 and 2 every seven days.
As for pruning, although its growth can be controlled throughout the season, it is best to do it in early spring. For it the lateral shoots that the plant has developed the previous year will be cutalways above a new bud or shoot, leaving about 5 centimeters above the main stem. Those that show symptoms of weakness, and those that are too long, also have to be eliminated.
The pests that most affect it are mainly the mealybugs, aphids, White fly y Red spider. All of them can be treated with specific insecticides, or using natural remedies such as chromatic traps, Neem oil, potassium soap, or garlic infusion among others.
Enjoy your bougainvillea like never before .
