Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Flame Bougainvillea
Flame Bougainvillea puts red color in the spots where most flowering plants give up, like a west wall, a sunny bed or a pot on a hot patio. It comes as a bush, and pruning keeps it at shrub size for a bed or a low hedge. It likes the soil to dry between deep waterings. The color comes in flushes from spring through fall.
Best for: hot west walls, sunny beds that bake in summer, low hedges beside a walk, and patio pots. It is a bush bougainvillea for red color in the spots that are hardest to plant.
Bougainvillea is one of the few flowering plants that takes a west-facing wall and the heat bouncing off it. It needs six or more hours of sun for full color. Pick a spot with soil that drains.
As a bush it commonly runs 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide with pruning. Left alone with something to lean on, it rambles much larger. Trim lightly between bloom flushes to hold the size.
Bougainvillea does well in containers. A pot keeps it smaller, limits the bract drop, and lets you cover it on a frost night. Let the top 2 inches of soil dry before watering.
A frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back, though it usually returns from the roots. Sharp thorns line the stems, and dropped bracts blow across the yard. Plant it away from pools and paths, and keep water and fertilizer light.
- Low hedge4-5 ft apart
- Standard spacing6-8 ft apart
Water deeply on a set schedule through the first summer, starting often and easing to about once a week. Once rooted, soak it about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter. Let the soil dry between soaks, since too much water gives you leaves instead of color.
Do the main shaping in spring once frost danger has passed. Give it a light trim after each bloom flush, since new growth carries the color. Wear gloves and long sleeves, because the thorns are sharp.
One light feeding in spring is enough, and it needs no fertilizer in winter. Heavy feeding gives lots of leaves and fewer flowers.
Frost damage starts around 28 to 32°F, and a freeze can strip the leaves. Cover it with frost cloth or an old sheet on frost nights, not plastic. Leave damaged stems alone until frost danger passes, usually by March, then cut back to the new growth. It regrows from the roots.
Ragged, chewed leaf edges and small black droppings point to bougainvillea loopers. These small green to brown inchworms feed at night and are hard to spot. A healthy plant handles the damage, so treat only young plants or heavy damage with a BT caterpillar spray.
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 color is Flame Bougainvillea?
It is a bright red. The color comes from the papery bracts, which surround tiny white true flowers.
How big does it get as a bush?
With pruning, a bush bougainvillea commonly stays about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Without pruning, or with a wall to lean on, it can sprawl much larger.
How fast does it grow?
It grows at a moderate to fast pace. It grows quickest once spring warmth arrives, which helps it catch up after winter.
How far apart should I plant Flame Bougainvillea?
Plant them about 4 to 5 feet apart for a low hedge. For standard spacing, set them 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. Use the Spacing tab to count plants for your row.
How much water does it need?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out. Keep watering regularly through the first summer while it roots in. After that it seldom needs water more than once a week, even in summer.
Why won't it bloom?
Too much water or too much fertilizer is the usual reason. Both push leaf growth instead of color. Water less often, skip strong fertilizer, and make sure it gets full sun.
Does it bloom all year?
It blooms in flushes from spring through fall, with growth spurts in between. In a mild winter it can keep going. Color is often strongest in the cooler months and can slow in the hottest part of summer.
What happens in a freeze?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the stems, and a freeze can strip the leaves. It usually grows back quickly from the roots in spring. Cover it on frost nights.
When do I cut it back after frost?
Wait until frost danger has passed, usually by March, or until new growth shows what is alive. Do the main pruning in spring. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
Should I fertilize it?
Yes, but keep it light, since one feeding in spring is plenty for a plant in the ground. Heavy feeding gives you more leaves and fewer flowers.
Can I plant it near the pool?
Plant it well back from the pool, because the bracts drop and blow into the water. Its roots are not known to be aggressive.
Is it safe around dogs and cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The sharp thorns are the main concern, so keep it off dog runs and play areas.
Flame Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Flame Bougainvillea is a red bougainvillea sold as a bush, planted around the Valley for color in sun and reflected heat. This page walks through its size, spacing, water, bloom, frost and pruning, so you know what to expect in an Arizona yard.
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.
Can red bougainvillea grow on a west wall in Phoenix?
Yes. Bougainvillea is one of the few flowering plants that holds up on a hot west-facing wall, and it loves summer heat and reflected sun. Six or more hours of sun gives the most color.
How big does a bush bougainvillea get?
Kept as a bush, it commonly runs 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Untrained with something to climb, it rambles much larger. Light trims between flushes keep it bush size.
How far apart do you plant a bougainvillea hedge?
For a low hedge, plant about 4 to 5 feet apart so the bushes fill in. For standard spacing, go 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for you.
How often do you water bougainvillea in Arizona?
Water regularly through the first summer. Once rooted, soak it deeply and let the soil dry, rarely more than once a week even in summer. Extra water means more leaves and less color.
Will bougainvillea come back after a freeze?
In most cases it grows back. Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back and strip the leaves, but it regrows quickly from the roots. Leave the damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March.
What is eating my bougainvillea leaves?
It is often the bougainvillea looper, a small green to brown inchworm that feeds at night. Look for ragged leaf edges and tiny black droppings. Healthy plants handle it, and a BT caterpillar spray is the usual fix for young or badly hit plants.
Can bougainvillea grow in pots in the Valley?
Yes, it does well in containers. A pot keeps it smaller, holds the mess in one spot, and makes it easy to cover on frost nights. Water once the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
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.