Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea glabra · also called Paper flower
Flowering
- Light
- Sunny, Part sun
- Pot size
- Large pot (more than 15 litres)
- Care level
- Easy
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 0 °C (32 °F)
- Pets
- Pet safety not confirmed
Light and position
Full sun encourages flowering; it tolerates part shade.
Size and pot
A thorny climber that NC State lists at 10 to 20 feet; keep it pruned in a tub. Our pot band: large pot (more than 15 litres).
Watering
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out. Once established it is drought and heat tolerant.
Potting mix and feeding
Well-drained soil; NC State notes leaves can yellow (chlorosis) in alkaline soil.
Growing through the year
Prune right after a flush of flowers to keep the shape you want.
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 0 °C (32 °F). NC State lists USDA zones 9a to 11b but calls it frost sensitive, so we use freezing (32 °F) as its limit.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 0 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 0 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 0 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Curved thorns: wear gloves. NC State lists no common pests.
Pets and people
We did not find an ASPCA entry, and NC State gives no toxicity rating. Its pet safety is not confirmed.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.