Bougainvillea, a genus of tropical and subtropical plants, includes approximately 14 species. It grows as a shrubby vine with a spreading, round habit, to a height and spread of up to 20 feet. The vibrant colors of bougainvillea are not from its small flowers, but from the bracts that surround each flower. Bougainvillea grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 and up, but is often kept in pots in cooler climates and overwintered indoors.
While many plants show signs of stress when they are pot-bound, bougainvillea blooms best in this state. Wait to repot until the roots have replaced all of the soil and begin to grow out of the pot. You can keep a bougainvillea in a 1-gallon pot for three or more years. Bougainvilleas have a delicate root system, so try to avoid disturbing the roots. When repotting, only go up to the next size pot so the root system can grow fully into each new pot.
If your bougainvillea has outgrown its original site or isn’t getting enough sun and you want to move it to a more suitable spot, early spring or late fall are the best times to transplant bougainvillea, while the plant is dormant. Transplanting can be traumatic for the plant, and it is less likely to go into shock if it is dormant. It is safe to transplant in the spring until the plant begins to leaf out, but if leaves have developed, wait until fall. Because of the delicate root system, dig as far away from the root system as possible to avoid damaging the roots.
If you need to move your bougainvillea indoors for the winter, dig it up in the fall when it has finished blooming. The plant will continue dormancy for several weeks. Take care to dig up the entire root ball, and place it into a pot that is just big enough to hold the root ball. If you place it back outside in spring, prune back dead or damaged stems, and gradually expose it to full sun over a period of one to two weeks.
Bougainvilleas grow best in full sun. They needs plenty of sunlight for good flowering and in proper conditions, color will last for months. This plant performs best when night temperatures stay above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Bougainvilleas bloom on new growth, so to encourage the best growth and flowering, prune and pinch the plant regularly. The bougainvillea has two distinct growth cycles. A vegetative growth period occurs for several weeks, during which new leaves and stems grow. If it gets enough sunlight, it will move into a blooming period, during which little or no vegetative growth occurs. With five or more hours of sunlight daily, a bougainvillea will bloom for three to five weeks.
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