Bougainvillea

16 years ago

I went to walmart yesterday and as I walked through the entrance I seen a plant I just had to have "bougainvillea" I read up on plants excesively when I purchase them to make sure they get the most proper care. I came across pictures of the bougainvillea growing up trelis's and walls and such, and thought to myself this would look great climbing my fence, which the bottom portion is trellis so it would climb it well. But anyway, my question is that the pot tag says sun perennial. But I live in Georgia and have been reading that they will die under 30 degree weather. I live in Georgia and bought the plant here so why does it say perennial if our weather is too cold for it to survive our winters? Would it come back in the spring if I planted this plant in NW Georgia? Or would I need to bring it in and replant every year?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hugs,April

Comments (5)

buford
16 years ago
I think Bougainvillea is zone 9. Walmart and other big box stores just put the labels on that the manufacturer does. I don't think it will survive a zone 8 or 7 winter, unless it's mild.

I'm not sure what zone you're in.
april105
Original Author
16 years ago
My zone is 7-8 So how should I go about this. I read that bougainvillea roots are very important not to damage. Will I need to dig it up every year and if so could that be possible?
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razorback33
16 years ago
They are root hardy to only about 25Â°F (Zone 9b), and frosts will kill the unprotected foliage.
You will probably have more blooms if you leave it in a pot, as it prefers root restriction. If you wish, bury the pot in the ground at the location you want to grow it or leave it above ground.. Be sure that the pot drains well or it will develop root rot and die. It's also easier to move the pot indoors during the winter. They overwinter pretty well in a cool greenhouse, basement or garage. I have had some to last for many years. When they need repotting, do not increase the pot size more than 2 inches.
Winter is normally bloom time for them, when they receive less than 8 hrs. of sunlight per day, but they do well here and bloom all summer, when planted in full sun, but have to be encouraged to bloom by keeping them on the dry side. Water only when the foliage begins to droop slightly. Don't let them become too dry or all of the leaves and blooms will fall off.
Feed with a water soluble Houseplant fertilizer that has a high content of Phosphate(P) (for blooming) and moderately high Nitrogen(N) content (for growth). Apply in Spring and late Summer or periodically during the blooming period if you receive frequent rainfall, that will dilute the fertilizer. Moisten the soil before applying the fertilizer to avoid burning the roots.
Since they bloom on new growth, you can prune them any time.

Some Bougainvillea's only have flowers at the tip of the branches, others produce them along the stems, which I think is more attractive, but they're not the one's usually found for sale hereabout's. :Enjoy!
Rb
razorback33
16 years ago
Sorry, forgot to mention that they prefer a somewhat acidic soil mix, with a pH of 5.5-6 and well drained. Don't use a moisture retentive mix, which can cause root rot.
Rb
natalie4b
16 years ago
I bought one few years back, and it did not make it through winter.
Hope you have more luck with yours.
~Natalie