Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Staked
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Staked is trained up a stake, so it is ready to go on a wall, fence, arbor or post. With support it grows to about 10 to 15 feet in the Valley and carries magenta-red color from late spring through fall. It loves summer heat and the reflected sun off a west or south wall. Tie the new canes in as they grow.
Best for: covering a west or south wall, running along a fence, climbing an arbor or patio post, and training into a small tree.
Plant it at the base of a hot wall with wires or a trellis to tie to. On a support in the Valley it reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. It needs six or more hours of direct sun for the most color.
Along a fence, set staked plants about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. Closer to 6 feet covers the fence sooner. Tie the canes sideways along the fence as they grow, since they will not hold on by themselves.
A staked plant is already headed upward, so it suits an arbor leg or a patio post in full sun. Fasten the canes with strong ties, because the branches get heavy. Trim after each bloom flush to keep it where you want it.
Staked bougainvillea can be pruned up into a small tree shape. Leave it on the stake while it is young, since it needs support early. Older plants can hold themselves up.
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the canes and drop the leaves, though the roots take colder and it usually regrows. The canes have large, sharp thorns, and the bracts fall and blow around. Keep it away from pools and busy walkways.
- Wall or fence run6-8 ft apart
- Faster cover6 ft apart
It has no way to hold onto a wall, so tie new canes to wires, a trellis or a post as they lengthen. Use strong ties, because the branches get heavy. Guide the canes where you want color and trim the ones that head elsewhere.
Start a new plant on frequent deep water and spread the soaks out to about weekly by the end of its first summer. A rooted plant does well on a soak about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about monthly in winter. Wait for the soil to dry before you water again.
Do the main pruning in spring once frost danger has passed. Trim lightly after each bloom flush, since it blooms on new growth. Gloves and long sleeves make the job easier around the thorns.
Temperatures around 28 to 32°F can burn it, and a hard freeze can drop the leaves. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet, not plastic, on frost nights. Leave the damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March, then cut back to just above the new growth.
A single light feeding in spring is enough for a plant in the ground, and none is needed in winter. Heavy feeding pushes leafy growth and cuts the color.
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 staked mean?
The plant has been trained up a single stake, so it is tall and narrow and ready to tie to a support. It is the same Barbara Karst as the bush, trained a different way.
Will it climb a wall on its own?
No. Bougainvillea does not cling to a wall the way some vines do. Tie the canes to wall wires, a trellis or a post with strong ties as they grow, and keep the stake on while the plant is young.
How tall does Barbara Karst get on a wall?
On a support it reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide in the Valley, and more on a big support. Trim it to fit the wall you have.
How fast will it cover a wall?
It grows at a moderate to fast pace, and growth speeds up once spring warmth arrives. Planting about 6 feet apart covers a wall sooner than 8 feet apart.
How far apart should I plant them along a fence?
Plant them about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. Use the closer spacing for quicker cover. The Spacing tab counts plants for your fence length.
Should I buy the staked plant or the bush?
Buy the staked plant for a wall, fence, arbor or post, since it is already trained upright. The bush is the one for beds, low hedges and pots you plan to keep pruned.
Can I train it into a small tree?
Yes. Staked bougainvillea can be pruned up into a small tree shape. Keep it on the stake while it is young, and older plants can stand on their own.
How often should I water it?
Water it regularly through the first summer. After that, soak it about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter. Too much water gives you leaves and little color.
What happens to it in a freeze?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the canes and drop the leaves. The roots survive to about 20°F, and it usually regrows quickly. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, and prune 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 skip heavy cuts in fall.
How do I plant it?
Keep the root ball whole and handle it gently, because the fine roots do not like being disturbed. Plant in spring after frost, in soil that drains, and water regularly the first summer.
Are the thorns a problem near paths, pools or pets?
The canes have large, sharp thorns, so plant it back from walkways and dog runs. Keep it back from the pool too, since bracts drop and blow around. It is not known to be poisonous to pets.
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Staked for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Barbara Karst Bougainvillea Staked is the magenta-red Barbara Karst trained upright on a stake, ready to climb. Valley homeowners use it on hot walls, fences, arbors and posts. Here is how tall it gets, how to tie it in, how far apart to plant it, and how to handle water and frost.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How tall does a staked Barbara Karst bougainvillea get?
With a wall, fence or trellis to tie to, it reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide in the Valley. A bigger support lets it go further. Without support it sprawls into a bush.
How do you attach bougainvillea to a block wall?
Bougainvillea does not cling, so the wall needs wires or a trellis. Tie the canes to it with strong ties as they grow. Keep the plant on its stake while it is young.
How far apart do you plant staked bougainvillea on a wall?
Space staked plants about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. Plant closer to 6 feet for quicker cover. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your wall.
Staked vs bush Barbara Karst bougainvillea
The staked plant is trained upright for walls, fences, arbors and posts. The bush is kept as a shrub for beds, hedges and pots. Both are Barbara Karst, with the same magenta-red color.
Is Barbara Karst a good bougainvillea for a west wall in Phoenix?
Yes. It loves summer heat and takes the reflected sun off a west or south wall. Full sun brings out the brightest magenta-red color.
Will a staked bougainvillea come back after a freeze?
Frost around 28 to 32°F burns the canes, but the roots survive to about 20°F and it regrows in spring. Wait for new growth, then cut back to just above it.
Can you grow bougainvillea as a tree in Arizona?
A staked bougainvillea can be pruned up into a small tree shape. It needs the stake while it is young. Light trims after each bloom flush keep the top in shape.
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.