Do so carefully to avoid damaging the roots further. Bougainvilleas grown in cooler climates will need protection in winter by either bringing them indoors or covering those outdoors planted in a protected spot against a south-facing wall. Keep your bougainvillea happy by clipping off dead flowers and pruning the vines. Cut a four- to-six-inch section from the end of a cane and strip about half an inch of bark from the cut end. The bougainvillea is a fast-growing vine that can be trained to grow on a trellis or other structure or simply grow as a stand-alone plant. Give your bougainvillea a thorough, deep watering about every three to four weeks. If you dont want to deal with frequent pruning to control the size, a dwarf cultivar that remains compact might be the best choice. Use bougainvillea as a vibrant, colorful groundcover on hillsides. This way you will be able to walk under the canopy and reach the branches in future for easy pruning of your 'tree'. All Rights Reserved. If planted outside in areas with cold enough winters that it needs protection, don't cut the bougainvillea plant back too late in the season. The solid trunk also allows bougainvilleas to be trimmed as a bush or tree. If you have an existing plant you want to train to grow as a tree, you may need to cut it down and start fresh with new growth to get a nice, straight trunk. However, whenever you buy any plant grown as a standard, youll be paying an upcharge for the time and work to train the plant. In warm, humid regions like the southern United States, blooming typically occurs in the winter, which adds some much-appreciated color during the blandest of months. Four- to six-inch plants can be purchased from Amazon. Dig a hole deep enough, so the root ball is level with the ground. And, boy, do I mean vigorous! Taking cuttings is easy, but beware of those thorns! In this article, well answer all your questions about growing a standard Bougainvillea and explain exactly how to do it yourself. Secure the stems in place with nylon wire or twine, making sure not to pull too tight on the stem as this will cause damage. Abbie is a plant-loving freelance writer from Florida. Afterward, a spray of neem oil or copper fungicide, like Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide, available in 16-ounce spray, 32-ounce hose-end bottles, or 16-ounce concentrate from Arbico Organics, can be applied according to package instructions. You may need to add more ties as the vines spread. After the first two or three years there should be a beautiful bougainvillea tree to adorn the property. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. When you make purchases through links on our site, we earn a small commission. Heres what youll discover as you read on: Chances are, youve stumbled across a specimen that made such an impression that you simply had to learn more about it. Copyright 2023 Garden Made Simple - All Rights Reserved. Be sure to avoid overwatering as this is a major culprit in reduced blooming and overgrowth of green foliage rather than flowers. Reference: bougainvillea in pots. This method is very handy and produces a natural curve and bends. Its true that bougainvillea like acidic soil. Do bougainvillea have big roots? The flowering bracts will drop on their own. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.) One of these is another magenta beauty known as Rose.. He is passionate about preserving the environment and making sure that the plants in his garden are healthy and thriving. Another decorative method for training a bougainvillea tree involves choosing three central shoots and braiding them together to form a braided trunk. To make a Bougainvillea tree, you'll need to start with a young plant. Bougainvillea can also be grown outdoors year-round as far north as Zone 9 with winter protection provided for exposure to temperatures below 35F in-ground, or about 50F in a container. To train your bougainvillea into a tree shape, start when it is young, according to South Florida Plant Guide. To prevent damage, spray with Monterey Bt at first sight you can find 32-ounce spray or hose-end bottles at Arbico Organics. Propagated transplants and nursery plants that will be installed in the ground need an appropriate site well cover that more in the next section. Also keep some branches coming out from the top of that stem, starting just above your own head height. As I mentioned, bougainvillea is both thorny and mildly toxic, and this combination is helpful in keeping tempted critters from sneaking a taste of the foliage. For best bloom, trim all branches back to 20 feet or less. Danielle Smyth is a writer and content marketer from upstate New York. Depending on who you ask among the movers and shakers in the botanical world, there are as many as 20 accepted species in the Bougainvillea genus. Once the stem or stems to be trained start growing out, tie them to the stake using soft cloth ties or old nylon stockings. Try these Fruit and Citrus Fertilizer Spikes, available in a four-pound package from Jobes via Home Depot. Step 2) Plant Bougainvillea in one of the cuttings from step one. Its also safe to plant Thai Delight outdoors in Zones 9 to 11, although it does require frost protection in cooler regions. Instead, nip the tips every 8-12 weeks, or whenever you notice branches with finished flowers, and you'll end up with a stunning plant like this one that flowers off and on for most of the year.BTW, no fertiliser has been used here, other than very occasional compost tea and dog pee in the general vicinity! Arent those flower petals saturated with deep fuchsia, orange, yellow, and purple? Like other woody vines and shrubs, cuttings should be taken during periods of active growth. Perfect for a bonsai or a potted accent for the porch or deck, this cultivar wont need much pruning! Colloquially called paperflower (or paper flower) in reference to the texture of what appear to be its blooms, this tropical vine prefers slight drought, full sun, some extra nutrients, occasional pruning, and little else. In cultivation, three evergreen species and their cultivars are most commonly found: B. glabra, B. peruviana, and B. spectabilis, which was formerly known as B. brasiliensis well talk a bit more about these in our Cultivars and Species section, up ahead. You can start by cutting the stem of an existing plant 6-8 inches from the base, coat it in rooting hormone, and place it in a shallow container filled with well-drained potting soil. Bougainvillea is easy to train, but do be careful of the thorns. Watch the lateral shoots that branch off from the top of the bougainvillea tree in response to the trimming you performed in step six. Place the Pot and Soil: You can now place the soil in the container. Next, well briefly touch on some interesting history. This allows the shoots to act as a trunk of sorts, but be sure to continue to prune the plant to adhere to this design. If you live in an area where rats are known to exist in the wild, which they do in many places, its best to keep your vine pruned to create open space, which will encourage them to take shelter somewhere else unless you dont mind a rent-free rat family squatting in your yard! Make room for the roots if the tree is already established, or you can place your cutting directly into the soil with root hormone powder. Bougainvillea must have well-drained soil, and it prefers acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.0. Wear thick gloves, like these rose gloves from Gardeners Supply Company, which are designed to prevent pokes on both hands and forearms. What You Need to Know, South Floriad Plant Guide: Bougainvillea Tree, How to grow your own herb garden in any indoor or outdoor space. Since this vine needs slightly acidic soil, you can adjust both pH and drainage simultaneously by mixing finely shredded pine bark into the substrate at the time of planting to increase acidity. After a couple of years, you should see the tree shape really starting to stand out in your landscape. It can be trained to climb trellises or be planted as an attractive but thornily impenetrable barrier, and it can also serve as a ground cover. Aside from bracts, leaves are green and alternately placed along the long, sprawling canes characteristic of these species. Or, simply let the vine climb between a patio or deck and a steel or wood-framed canopy for a low-effort screen or deterrent for intruders. Bonsai is another option, as is container growing in general. A standard refers to any plant trained to grow in a tree-like shape, with a bare woody trunk and a canopy-shaped top. In zones 9-11, bougainvillea blooms most of the year, and in cooler zones, it will become dormant and mainly bloom in summer. Without regular pruning, the vine will become leggy, overgrown and become a nightmare to prune. Without enough sunlight, signs of protest will become apparent, including leaf and bloom drop, few blooms, and fewer colorful bracts. Let us know which one you like best in the comments! The bracts are a type of leaf whose main function is to protect the tiny flower and attract pollinators. But that doesn't mean they're overzealous creatures that must be pruned into submission each season. They also have a shallow root system of no more than 10 to 12 inches with a slightly longer taproot, which doesnt keep them upright on their own without pruning down to a small size. Depending on how large you want your tree to grow, you may need to use a four- to eight-foot-tall stake. In the absence of rain, supply a deep watering when the soil feels dry just below the surface. Train on trellises next to buildings to serve as a wall covering. Dip the base in hormone rooting powder, put in a small pot of moist cuttings compost and place in a heated propagator. Fill the container to just below the brim with equal parts humus-rich potting mix and sand. Sometimes there may be a bit of leaf drop after blooming ends. Should you deadhead bougainvillea? Once your trunk reaches the height you want, youll be able to grow a canopy (the trees top). Plant names. Thankfully, the list of diseases that might attack your vine, shrub, or tree, is very short but, unfortunately, the common culprits are not so easy to deal with. Most plants will be in a semi-dormant state in mid to late winter and won't be harmed by even severe pruning. As I noted above in "planting", angle them towards whatever they'll be growing on. Detecting above-ground symptoms often indicates an advanced infection. The good news is that you can do the work yourself without paying someone else to do it. We are a member of several affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to external sites. Tip pruning removes the end wood just after a bud node and will encourage a new branch to form at . Some Bougainvilleas do best with ongoing support. Step Four: Lightly Trim or Pinch Your Bougainvillea. This species is more cold hardy, surviving temperatures as low as 20F. It will have a dense thatch under the new growth. It may be necessary to make amendments to the site prior to replanting, such as by adding sand and bark to allow for better drainage or, if the site becomes soggy too often, it may be necessary to relocate the vine. Elsewhere, this lovely lady can be purchased at FastGrowingTrees.com. When bougainvillea is planted next to an open fence, such as one made of chain link or wire, it will naturally seek to climb the fence. Trimming can be done a few times during the growing season. (The tree in the video has two 'trunks' because the base just grew like this. Choose a location with full sun exposure for at least eight hours per day. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Some gardeners like to grow bougainvillea in pots or trim them into hedges but with regular pruning, they can be trained to grow up a bougainvillea trellis. These bracts can be pink, red, purple or violet and even white and yellow. Prune your plant throughout the year, but especially in the late winter before the new growth cycle. Bougainvillea are hardy plants. Ensure you plant it in soil so roots do not get dehydrated. In full sun, this specimen can reach upwards of 30 feet in height if left untamed! Bougainvillea flowers are lovely vines that grow up around your home or office and bear purple blossoms with yellow petals. Use the same rules of thumb that we discussed in the previous section to select a site to place your planter. The flowers are typically purple or red. It is now the centrepiece of the garden!Step 1 - Cut back all stems emerging near the ground, leaving just one central stem. As your bougainvillea grows, continue to train it by tying it to the wire and pruning it as needed. To submit your questions or ideas, or to simply learn more about CareerTrend, contact us [here](http://careertrend.com/about-us). An arbor such as this Westwood Cedar Arbor is made of thick, sturdy wood that can be permanently installed with a poured concrete footing. Alternatively, group and tie three large shoots together, then stake them. Its easy to see why youd want to include an enchanting bougainvillea in your landscape. After a couple of months, you should notice the canopy filling in nicely. Bougainvilleas are woody vines. A mix of sand and loam is best, so amending prior to planting may be necessary to create ideal conditions. Of course, we have lots of other guides to growing vines with beautiful flowers available, check these articles out next: Ask the Experts, LLC. When its warm outside, they hatch forth from eggs laid on leaves by one-inch-wide, brown moths that are mainly active at night. If youre unsure of the pH level of your soil, performing a soil test is an important step to avoid later pitfalls. Because of hybridization, most bougainvillea plants are propagated by taking cuttings rather than planting seeds. A: This is a difficult question to answer. Place a sturdy stake of some type well into the soil right next to the bougainvillea plant or push the stake into the pot till it touches the bottom and plant the bougainvillea next to it. Of course, youll find them too, as you shop for the one that will grace your home, but I like to be the one to make the introductions. In either case, be sure to water well to settle the transplant into its new home, and make sure excess water drains away. Cut out any dead or diseased wood and also remove any crowded branches that prevent good air flow throughout the plant. A rapid grower, the bright flowers of a bougainvillea are easy to get in any part of your garden. Select a strong, healthy vine to become the trunk and secure it with a stake and tie. Time for a trim! He loves spending time outdoors tending to his garden, learning about new plants and sharing his knowledge with others. Better still, bougainvilleas tolerate salt-laden winds, making them ideal for planting in exposed coastal gardens. Well lead with one of the best-known, most widely cultivated hybrids around. With deep pinkish-red or magenta bracts, B. x buttiana Barbara Karst is a gorgeous option for outdoor planting in Zones 9 to 11. If planted outside in areas with cold enough winters that it needs protection, don't cut the bougainvillea plant back too late in the season. How to Grow and Care for Prairie Onion, .slick-slider#wpsp-83657 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83657.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83657.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83657 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } Aphids can cause stunting if they attack a young specimen, as they suck the fluids from the interior of the stems and leaves, but paperflower is a strong and durable plant, and wont go down easily. Train your bougainvillea by pruning away unwanted tendrils and leaving the plant portions you want. The only kinds of Bougainvillea you shouldnt try to train as a tree are those labeled as miniature, dwarf, or ground-covering. Root rot becomes a concern, and can be deadly, if the substrate remains too damp. This will help your plant start to slowly take your desired shape. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Young plants need to be pruned from the base to force thicker growth. Vines can easily spread to about 20 feet in length, or sometimes more, becoming woodier and heavier over time. Find it at Walmart. This may be weekly during the hottest times of year, or once every two to three weeks in cooler seasons. Hanging baskets with cascading tendrils may also come to mind. In colder zones, it will go dormant when brought in for winter and will bloom mainly in summer. There are also a few thornless cultivars on the market, such as the soft lilac Silhouette, or Miss Alice which is white. If youre a fan of pastels over shocks of bright colors, then B. glabra Thai Delight, also known as Imperial Delight or Imperial Thai Delight, could be a good choice for you. Tip pinching is trimming the new soft growth by 1 - 6in (2.5 - 15cm), which encourages new inner growth and new color and will also maintain the size you want to keep it at, making for a more manageable plant as well! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); .slick-slider#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83656.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83656.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } Bougainvillea's common name is paper flower. Prepare to keep it in check with regular pruning if you dont have a wide-open, reinforced space where it can spread at will. Train Bougainvillea with help from an experienced professional gardener on a mission to make gardening stylish, fun and simple in this free video clip.Expert: Nell FosterFilmmaker: James TuckerSeries Description: When doing your gardening, you'll always want to remember that each plant will have its own unique needs. The words delicate and airy may come to mind when you lay eyes on B. spectabilis White Stripe. This elegant, variegated cultivar displays large, bright white bracts with green and cream foliage. Instead of allowing only one central shoot to grow and cutting all the rest back, allow three central shoots to grow and cut the rest back. She owns her own content marketing agency, Wordsmyth Creative Content Marketing, and she enjoys writing home and DIY articles and blogs for clients in a variety of related industries. Cultivate fertile, acidic, humus filled soil that drains well. This is a great way to get your plant to fill in if its looking a little sparse. Using nylon stocks or soft plant rope, tie the growing vines onto a trellis attached to a wall or onto a fence, and gently coax the vines in the pattern you want. If you want to train your bougainvillea into a tree, you will need to start by placing it in a pot. She also runs her own lifestyle blog, Sweet Frivolity. One option is to grow your Bougainvillea as a tree or standard. One technique for Bougainvillea tree shaping we enjoy is called weighting. Prune regularly to maintain the tree shape. Cuttings should be around 8 cm long. After the first application in the spring, follow the instructions on the package to maintain a normal schedule. Then, pound a tall, wooden stake into the soil about 6 inches from the trunk. To preserve humidity, cover the pots or flat with a plastic bag, place the whole flat in a transparent storage tote, or sit it in inside a greenhouse. Ideal growing conditions are typically within Zones 10 and 11. Step 2 - Clean your new 'trunk' of any emerging side shoots. Bougainvillea shrubs can be pruned to achieve all sorts of shapes. It can be challenging to tell the difference between these species because they have very similar traits, and even among the horticultural community, confusion persists. Now, Barb is not the one to install if theres limited space available in your landscape this cultivar can reach huge proportions, sometimes growing more than two feet per year and achieving well over 20 feet in height, with an equal spread. Prune away any undesired stems to prevent the risk of your bougainvillea overgrowing. Pound the wooden stake into the soil approximately 6 inches away from the central shoot you are training as the trunk of the bougainvillea tree. Bear in mind that, even though pots can be moved, they are rather heavy when filled with soil. Plants will go dormant in colder weather and should be watered sparingly. Cut off any side stems that try to grow out and cut off any thorns on the main trunk to make it easier to handle. In fact, theyre not. The vine is commonly chosen by allergy sufferers due its low pollen production, and by butterfly and hummingbird lovers, as it attracts both in scads. If you're planting the bougainvillea in a pot, choose a soil mix with the appropriate pH level. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Try picking the strongest main shoot that will eventually become the trunk; this can grow freely. The new growth from a stem cutting will try to grow up, but you can train it by tying the vine around another part of the plant for support. Remove dead wood as it occurs but severe pruning must wait until the plant is semi-dormant in fall or early spring. It also displays rounded floral tubes. The other main shoots coming up from the crown can be cut right above the soil. Add a high-phosphate fertilizer to the hole to promote root growth and help the flowers bloom. All the bracts containing the flower dropped within two days of senescence. However, you can train them to grow in the shape you prefer, including trees. They also double as protection for seed pods that balloon after the blooming period ends. Plant garden trellises 2 to 3 inches in the ground or rest them against the side of the house. Bougainvillea can be trained to grow as a vine, tree, bonsai or in almost any other shape. Below are some things to consider when trying to figure out how to train a bougainvillea into a tree. Canes are twining and have no tendrils with which to climb, so they often use their thorns to grasp nearby structures in an effort to self-support. Bougainvilleas grow best when they are in pots with good drainage. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon. Most Bougainvillea cultivars can be successfully trained to grow as a tree because of their woody structure and vigorous growth. Master Gardener and bougainvillea expert Charlie Nardozzi claims that bougainvillea can grow up to 30 feet tall and just as wide. For standard hedges, simply alternate between hibiscus and bougainvillea in one single row, spacing the plants 18 inches apart from each other. 4 Plant the bougainvillea. After returning to Europe with cuttings of the specimens, cultivation began with mild interest due to the low tolerance bougainvillea has for cold temperatures. Their bodies arch in the center as they crawl hence the name, looper.. In respect to this,can bougainvillea be a tree? Before you plant your Bougainvillea, youll want to set the stake or post in the ground. Bougainvilleas grow best when they are in pots with good drainage. Manage Settings Without support, they just flop down & can become a sprawling low blob. Bougainvillea can be grown as a vine, shrub, groundcover, or trained to grow into a tree shape. Bougainvillea in pots or in the garden can be grown throughout the year in United States plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, and they are particularly popular in the South and in states like Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. There are also varieties of dwarf bougainvillea, which grow much smaller than their larger cousins. See our TOS for more details. Dwarf varieties are easiest to train since theyre already compact, reducing the amount of pruning, root reduction, and defoliating that needs to be done to maintain their size and shape. Its a good idea to set the stake first, so you dont damage the plants roots. Its also a simple way to produce a lot of new plants, if youre looking to save money on buying more or to cover a large area with them. If you live in a cooler zone, this might be the best option for you. Allow this shoot to grow freely. But, wait something about those blooms looks a bit strange. As a flowering hedge, bougainvilleas have no equal for sheer flower power. As you prune, you can gently wrap new shoots around the structure to which the plant is being trained, to encourage growth in that direction. Because they have sharp thorns, locate them several feet away from a walkway or other area of activity. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! In warm climates, this may be throughout most of the year, but in others, late spring or early summer are the best times. Once the stem or stems to be trained start growing out, tie them to the stake using soft cloth ties or old nylon stockings. Then, let it grow! Commercially, growers often turn to using tissue cultures to reproduce large quantities of varieties that are more difficult to grow from cuttings. Or, if youre not too keen on starting from scratch, Bonsai Boy has trees that are already established and ready to ship, like this flowering bougainvillea bonsai made from a dwarf Pink Pixie cultivar. However, this will depend on your specific plant and the conditions. Joyous Garden reports that bougainvillea require six or more hours of full sun per day to grow successfully. In USDA climate zones 9 or higher bougainvilleas can be grown outside, but in areas where repeated freezes are a danger they are best grown in pots that can be moved in during the winter. Best Conditions for Cultivation Bougainvillea is a tough plant, and thats not just in reference to its formidable thorns. Its also safe for most beneficial insects, and made from beneficial bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis), so its a biological product rather than one that utilizes harmful chemicals. Prepare a soil by using equal parts: peat moss, rotted leaves or pine bark, garden loam, and sand, or buy a good tropical plant soil mix. Allow the central shoot to grow as a trunk until the bougainvillea tree is as tall as you desire. The shoots at the top to grow to form the canopy of the tree. If you want your Bougainvillea to have a bushier appearance (or to improve the trees canopy), there are a few things you can do to encourage that type of growth. Remove vines that are not growing in the direction you want this will not affect flower production. Make a hole about as wide and deep as the root system and gently place the rooted cutting or nursery specimen into the hole, at the same depth as it was previously planted, and backfill around it. This article was written by the CareerTrend team, copy edited and fact checked through a multi-point auditing system, in efforts to ensure our readers only receive the best information. Both plants prefer full sun. The container doesnt need to be huge since plants of this genus prefer close quarters and dont mind being a bit rootbound. Their tender roots cannot stand wet soggy soils. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool , Central Texas Gardening: Grown a Bougainvillea. Continue to remove the top 2 inches of growth in these shoots to keep them bushing laterally instead of growing up. They're not hard to train but it does take a little effort. Check on the vines often to ensure that the bougainvillea is not getting damaged by the ties. B. peruviana is also known as buganvilla, from the Spanish spelling. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Its speculated that the Spanish conquistadors traveling to North America throughout the 1700s introduced either seeds or cuttings of the vine to southern California. Many bougainvillea are trained to grow up a trellis or along a fence. Product photos via Arbico Organics, BGI Fertilizers, Bonsai Boy, Gardeners Supply Company, LeJpy Garden, Plants Express, and Terrain. Bougainvillea shrubs can be pruned to achieve all sorts of shapes. While this may seem counter-intuitive, the result will be thicker, fuller growth the following season. Blooms have short stems and terminal placement at the ends of branches surrounded by special leaves called bracts. Remove all other main shoots growing up out of the crown by cutting them off just above the soil with the pruning shears. Some varieties are hardy in cool zones 5 - 6, and others will thrive in zones 9 - 11. Avoid touching or squeezing the root system when transplanting as bougainvillea roots can be damaged easily.