Logee's has a number of varieties. You could look into Glasshouse Works as well.

I have been growing a variegated-leaf form ('Raspberry Ice') as a tropical accent for about the past 12 years. It is kept semidormant indoors under lights during the winter and makes good foliar growth in a sunny border.

Thanks Eric. I have found a nursery that carries quite a few varieties including the one you mentioned. They have told me that Barbara Kurst probably the most dependable bougainvillea and is stronger with a longer bloom time. How much growth do you get with your Raspberry and does it bloom much?

Have you been to the Bougainvillea forum here at GardenWeb?

sea ya
tami

Tami - wish there was a Bougie forum but there isn't. ;-) There is a Bromeliad Forum and a Brugmansia Forum but no Bougainvillea.

Tried, but they died 'cos the sun burned them - I thought they were supposed to like it hot! obviously not!!!!

Bourgainvilleas do like it hot and sunny and you would never be able to kill a Bourgainvillea in the UK from an excess of either sun or heat. However, no plant (including tropicals) likes going from shady conditions to full sun. Leaves will burn to a crisp unless they are
acclimated. New leaves will adapt to sun and do fine.
I have had bourgainvilleas overwinter in my garage (no water, no food, no light, no heat, and no leaves for months on end in the winter. A few weeks ago, I retrieved one from the basement (without one leaf, no water since November). The plant is now covered with leaves, will soon be flowering and is sitting in a full southern exposure waiting for the hottest, sunniest position I have in my area (south side of house) where it will probably regularly experience temperatures near 95-100 degrees or higher without any problems. If you want flowering, I suggest go lighter on the watering (not the sun or heat)!

I've been growing bougainvillea for many years -- from huge ones to dwarfs; I started growing them in pots on a balcony a few hundred yards from the beach. Extreme weather conditions -- wind, storms, salt and heat -- taught me how to keep them healthy and showy. A few years ago I moved inland and after 2-3 months planted them in the ground, and let them grow as they wanted. Today, in spite of the sandy soil and its high calcium, alumina, and iron (lime)contents, I've kept them quite beautiful.

'Raspberry Ice' is a front-of-the-border feature again this year. It stays compact and has in the past put out a stray bloom or two during the outdoor growing season, but like others I've raised it does most of its flowering in late winter after a dry rest.

Barbra Karst is a more dependable bloomer. I really like that one. I also have a purple one not sure of the name but it is bright lavender purple~ very pretty seems to bloom late summer here after a dry spell. I was at stokes tropicals the other day and saw a double red (really a dark hot pink) very beautiful~gonna have to get that lol ! They love heat and have very few pests. I haven't ever had any pests on mine although the plants around them have pests at times. I hve heard they are picky about repotting but I haven't seen it, just repot the whole rootball without disturbing it too much. The thorns can be downright evil! You can just cut the thorns off if your plant is indoors around small children or pets.

I have just read these comments after 'pruning' my Bougainvillea in my garden this morning. I planted 5 small ones three years ago, and have just cut off more than 12 ft in growth!
Full sun, no fertilzer, we have a rainy season, and totally left alone! ¡Pura Vida!

I'd be happy to esnd you a half-ton or so cuttings if I knew the best way to cut and send.

Just joking, but my Boug is huge (20ft high and 30ft along the fence), and it will be time to prune it back soon.

If you would pay the postage and advise me the best way to cut and send it, I will be happy to do it, unless there are any postal or quarantine restrictions that apply.

This will be the first year that I will try to prune it back in the proper manner. I found out how by reading the forums on this site.

PLEASE HELP!!!!! AFTER GOING TO HAWAII SOME FRIENDS BOUGHT US A PLANT AND THAT YEAR IT BLOOMED LIKE CRAZY, THEN NO MORE...WE HAVE HAD IT SEVERAL YEARS WITH NEW GROTH BUT NO BLOOMS...TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING WRONG????????

Bougainvillea's are funny. No, not ha ha funny. It's just that they seem to thrieve on a certain degree of borderline neglect. I would suggest that you give them as much sun as possible (direct sun)and let them go really dry between waterings. They don't need the richest soils so I go very light on feeding. Mine really gets neglected in the winter as I rarely water it and encourage it to go dormant. If you can get it outside in a sunny position after the weather gets mild--all the better.

I would like to know how to start new plants from my Bougainvillea.
Thank You.

Propagate your own root stock the easy way with
'Pot Over Pan'
To obtaining sturdy bougainvillea roots, take a young potted plant and stand it over an empty upturned pot, larger and shallow. For ease of description, growers call this the 'Pot Over Pan' method.
This pot upturned pot should preferably be shallow - say not more than 3 or 4in. in depth, with a base wider than the upper pot - that is why it can also be called a 'pan'. It must have large holes (carefully made with a chisel or drill) at its base. The upturned pot should then be placed directly over the earth. Or filled with earth before upturning.
Here is how it is done. Pot as you normally would for a young plant, but do not close up the holes at the bottom with broken bricks. Leave them relatively open, but plugged with a thin layer of dried grass or coconut husk. Then position the potted plant over the upturned pot in . such a way that the holes of both pots are aligned. Where you place this setup is important. You should choose a patch of ground in your garden which is quiet yet sunny and where there is little disturbance from gardeners or grasscutters. Loosen the soil in the ground, and better still, add soil mix and work it into the ground.
Soon roots will appear, unrestrained, from the bottom of the upper pot and reach through the large holes of the upturned pot, heading straight down into the earth - now rich with soil mix - in search of water and nutrients. Gradually the roots will have firmly anchored into the earth, but harvest only when they have developed to a diameter of 3/16-1/4 in. or more.
Do this by gently cutting off the roots from under the base of the pot holding the young plant, making sure you do not damage the roots. (When this is done, you will notice that the leaves of the plant will start to droop due to the shock. All you need do to revive it is to water the plant and transfer it to a shady spot, and soon it will resume its normal healthy self.)

Next, lift up the upturned pot carefully. You will see that the roots, quite likely mixed with soil, curled around inside, and with their bottom ends firmly anchored to the earth. Cut them off at the base unless you can gently but firmly pull them out from the earth. Finally remove the soil from the harvested roots, wash them thoroughly, and plant them as root stock. The usual method of root grafting can be practised.

If upturned pot was filled with dirt, then cut dirt into 3 parts and trans plant each root set in its pot.

Align holes between the two pots to allow roots to reach the Cover holes of pot with thin layer of dried grass or coconut husk.

After some months, roots reach downwards through large holes inuptumed pot. Loosen existing soil in the ground, and better still, add soil mix.

Cut off roots from plants. Remove roots by digging gently so as not to damage them. Transplant.

I live in Bossier City, LA, and have a Bougainvillea in a large clay pot. I'd like to put this plant in the ground and train it up an arbor in our back yard. I get the feeling that we're not in a great climate for that, but does anyone think i might be able to use the arbor itself to support plastic sheeting during times of 30 degrees or less and sufficiently protect the plant against the cold? Might even place a small propane heater under the arbor on really cold nights.

I have "Barbra Kurst" for about 5 or 6 years. This Fall I brought it indoors as I have done all those years. But this time I noticed that the leaves were curling up, drying out and sick looking. I watered it and still no luck, then I thought well maybe its having one of those dormant stages that i have read about..abeit..it never did this before. So i leave it alone, in a cool room, no sun and keep my eye on it to see if I see new growth. How long does one know if it will ever come back...I did scrape with a razor to see if i can see any green which is a sign that it is still alive..but i did not see any green. Is this plant dead?

Have you repotted it in that time? Possibly the roots have blocked the drainage holes because it sounds like a case of over watering. They don't like soggy soil.

Have you repotted it in that time? Possibly the roots have blocked the drainage holes because it sounds like a case of over watering. They don't like soggy soil.>>>

It never was over watered..and its in one of those baskets that have free flowing bottom so the water just go down to the patio floor. I thought when i did water it in the cool room was because i didn't water it enough and that it might just wake it up.

Looking for Bougainvillea Vanilla Ice in central tx to buy please