If you live in a temperate climate and want an (almost) year round floral fiesta, then bougainvillea is the plant for you. Depending on the variety, it can be grown on a trellis or over an arbor, against a building or fence, in containers, as a hedge or ground cover, in tree form, and as a bonsai
Bougainvillea can grow anywhere from 1′ to 8′ to 30′, depending on the species or variety. There are actually quite a few dwarf bougainvilleas on the market now if you don’t want one the maintenance that goes along with one that grows to 25′. In the warmth and full sun that it loves, bougainvillea is fast growing.
Exposure:
Bougainvillea needs at least 6 hours of full sun a day to flower profusely and look its best. This plant loves the heat too. No enough sun = not enough color. If you live where it’s borderline zones hardy , planting a bougainvillea against a warm wall will help.

Hardiness:
This plant is hardy from USDA zones 9b – 11. It doesn’t like to go below 30 degrees F and definitely not for a prolonged period of time. 1 or 2 random nights around freezing will be okay. Older, established bougainvilleas can withstand a freeze much better than newly planted ones. Many varieties will lose part or all of their leaves in climates with winters on the cooler end of the spectrum. Remember, this is one plant that loves sun and heat!

Water:
When it comes to watering, bougainvillea is pretty drought tolerant once established. It prefers a good, deep watering every 3-4 weeks rather than frequent shallow waterings. When establishing, be sure to give yours regular water. It’s subject to a few types of root rots so don’t over water. The soil should be well drained which will help prevent rot. I plan on doing a post and video on how to plant bougainvillea so I’ll go into the topic of soil more in depth there

Fertilizer:
I’ve never fertilized bougainvilleas, either when planting or as part of maintenance. I always feed them with compost, a good dose upon planting and a 3″ topping every late winter/early spring every year or 2. I used to work at a nursery in Berkeley where a grower recommended fertilizing them with a palm and hibiscus food. This flower food would be another option if you feel yours needs fertilizing to up the ante on the bloom. Be sure to follow the directions on the box – an application once or twice a year will be just fine.

Pests:
In my Santa Barbara garden, aphids could be an issue on the new growth of my bougainvilleas in early spring. I just sprayed them off with a gentle blast of the garden hose. The bougainvillea looper caterpillar has been an issue with my bougies in Arizona and California. They’re green, brown or greenish-yellow and very tiny – maybe 1″ long. They feed at night and chew mainly on the leaves. I just let them be and they eventually go away. Because my bougies drop a lot of their leaves in the winter, it’s not an issue for me.

A couple of weeks ago leafcutter bees were enjoying 1 of my bougainvilleas, which you’ll see in the video, but now they seem to have moved on. They move fast and are valuable pollinators for many plants. For that reason, I let them be also.

Transplanting:
I’m touching briefly on this subject here but I’ll tell you that it’s a crap shoot. Bougainvilleas don’t like to have their roots disturbed. I’ve never transplanted one and don’t recommend it. You’d be better off just buying a new one. If you try it, just be as careful as possible