Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Espalier
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Espalier comes already trained flat on a trellis, ready to set against a block wall or fence. Barbara Karst carries bright magenta-red bracts in flushes from late spring through fall. It loves summer heat and takes the reflected sun off a west wall. Keep tying new canes in, and it will cover the wall in color.
Best for: covering a bare block wall or fence with magenta-red color, narrow side yards, and hot west or south walls where most flowering plants give up.
A west or south block wall bakes most flowering plants, but bougainvillea loves summer heat and reflected sun. Set the espalier against the wall where it gets six or more hours of direct sun. It is one of the few flowering plants that holds up there through a Valley summer.
Trained flat, it keeps its color in one plane instead of pushing into a walkway. It suits a narrow bed along a side yard, a courtyard wall or the space between a driveway and a fence. Tie new canes back to the trellis as they grow to hold the shape.
For a longer wall, plant espaliers about 6 to 8 feet apart center to center. Go closer to 6 feet if you want the wall covered sooner. On a support Barbara Karst reaches about 10 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide, so trim it to the size of your wall.
Frost around 28 to 32°F burns it back and strips leaves, though it usually regrows from the roots. The canes carry large, sharp thorns, and the papery bracts drop and blow around. Keep it away from pools and busy walkways.
- Standard wall run6-8 ft apart
- Quicker wall cover6 ft apart
Bougainvillea does not cling, so tie new canes to the trellis or wall wires with strong ties. Guide them flat along the frame and trim shoots that head toward the path. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
Water often while it roots in, tapering to about once a week through the first summer. Once established, soak it about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter. Let the soil dry between waterings.
Do the main pruning in spring after frost danger has passed. Give it light trims after each bloom flush, since it blooms on new growth.
Cover it with frost cloth, not plastic, on frost nights. A freeze drops the leaves and it rests until spring. Wait for new growth, then cut back to just above it.
One light feeding in spring is enough, and none in winter. More fertilizer means more leaves and fewer bracts.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What does espalier mean?
It means the plant has been trained to grow flat on a trellis, so it can stand right against a wall or fence. It is the same Barbara Karst as the bush and staked forms, just trained a different way. Set it against a sunny wall and keep tying new growth to the frame.
What color is Barbara Karst?
Barbara Karst is a bright magenta-red. The color comes from papery bracts around tiny white true flowers. They come in flushes from late spring through fall.
How do I keep it flat against the wall?
Bougainvillea does not cling on its own. Tie new canes to the trellis or to wires on the wall with strong ties as they grow. Trim shoots that grow out toward the path after each bloom flush.
Which wall should it go on?
A west or south wall with six or more hours of sun is ideal. It is one of the few flowering plants that handles a hot west wall in the Valley.
How far apart should I plant them along a wall?
Space them about 6 to 8 feet apart center to center, or about 6 feet for quicker cover. The Spacing tab counts plants for your wall length.
How big will it get?
On a wall or trellis it commonly reaches about 10 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. Trim it back to fit your wall.
How often should I water it?
Water often while it roots in, tapering to about once a week through the first summer. After that, water deeply every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter. Too much water gives you leaves instead of color.
Will a freeze hurt it?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the canes and drop the leaves. The roots take colder weather, down to about 20°F, and it usually regrows quickly. Cover it with frost cloth on cold nights and prune the damage after frost danger has passed.
When should I prune it?
Do the main pruning in spring after frost danger has passed, usually by March. Give it light trims after each bloom flush. It blooms on new growth, so avoid heavy cuts in fall.
How do I plant it?
Plant in spring after frost. Its fine roots break easily, so keep the root ball whole and handle it gently. Use soil that drains well and water regularly through the first summer.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees visit the flowers.
Is it okay near a pool or pets?
Keep it back from the pool, because the bracts drop and blow into the water. It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The thorns are the real hazard, so keep it off pet paths.
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Espalier for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Espalier is the magenta-red Barbara Karst, already trained flat on a trellis to stand against a wall. Below: where to put it, how to keep it flat, spacing along a wall, watering, frost and pruning.
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Bougainvillea espalier for a hot wall
Barbara Karst loves summer heat and reflected sun. Trained flat on a trellis, it covers a west or south wall in magenta-red.
Barbara Karst bougainvillea color
Barbara Karst has bright magenta-red bracts in flushes from late spring through fall.
Training a bougainvillea espalier
Bougainvillea does not cling, so tie new canes to the trellis or wall wires as they grow. Trim shoots that grow out toward the path.
Espalier spacing along a wall
Plant espaliers about 6 to 8 feet apart center to center, or about 6 feet for quicker cover.
Watering a bougainvillea espalier
Water deeply, then let the soil dry. Once rooted, every 7 to 10 days in summer and monthly in winter is enough.
Barbara Karst in a Valley freeze
Frost burns the canes, but the roots take about 20°F and it usually regrows. Prune damage after frost danger has passed.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.