Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Gold Bougainvillea
Gold Bougainvillea brings warm gold color to the hottest spots in the yard. It is grown as a bush, so it fits a sunny bed, a low hedge along a walk, or a big pot on the patio. It handles full sun and the reflected heat off a west wall. Water it deeply, let the soil dry out in between, and it blooms in flushes from spring through fall.
Best for: west-facing walls and sunny beds, low flowering hedges along a walk, and big pots on a patio. It is a bush-form bougainvillea for gold color in spots where few flowering plants hold up to the heat.
It is one of the few flowering plants that handles a hot west-facing wall and its reflected heat. Give it at least six hours of full sun for the best color. Plant it where the soil drains well.
Pruned as a bush it runs about 3 to 6 feet tall. Space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for a hedge that fills in. A light trim between bloom flushes holds the shape.
In a pot it stays smaller and drops less mess. It is also easy to cover or move on a freezing night. Water deeply, then wait until the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back, though it usually regrows from the roots. The stems carry sharp thorns, and fallen bracts blow around the yard. Keep it back from pools and busy walks, and go easy on water and fertilizer.
- Low hedge or border4-5 ft apart
- Standard spacing6-8 ft apart
A new plant needs regular deep soaks through its first summer, stretching out to about once a week as it roots in. After that, a deep soak about every 7 to 10 days in summer is plenty, and about once a month in winter. Extra water only pushes leaves, so let the soil dry out between soaks.
Shape it in spring after the last frost, not in fall or winter. Light trims after each round of bloom bring on new growth, and new growth is where the color forms. Gloves and long sleeves make the job easier around the thorns.
Give it one light feeding in spring and none in winter. More fertilizer than that pushes leaves at the expense of color.
Temperatures around 28 to 32°F can damage it, and a hard freeze can drop the leaves. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet rather than plastic. Wait until frost danger is past, usually by March, then cut back to just above the new growth. It comes back from the roots.
Bougainvillea loopers are small yellow-green to brown inchworms that chew leaf edges at night and leave tiny black droppings. An established plant outgrows the damage. On a young plant or a bad case, use 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.
How big does Gold Bougainvillea get?
Kept as a bush, bougainvillea commonly runs about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Left untrained with something to climb, it can sprawl much larger. It grows at a moderate to fast pace, quickest once spring warms up.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next watering. Once it is past its first summer, it rarely needs water more than once a week, even in summer.
Why isn't my bougainvillea blooming?
Too much water or too much fertilizer is the usual cause. Wet, rich soil keeps it growing leaves instead of color. Cut back on water, skip strong fertilizer, and make sure it gets full sun.
When does it bloom?
The gold color comes in flushes from spring through fall, with growth spurts in between. In a mild winter it can keep going. Color is often heaviest in the cooler months and can slow in the hottest stretch of summer.
Can it take a west wall and reflected heat?
Yes. It is one of the few flowering plants that handles a hot west-facing wall in the Valley. It wants full sun for the best color.
Will frost kill it?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the leaves and stems, and a freeze can strip it bare. It usually regrows quickly from the roots once it warms up. Cover it on frost nights, which is easy for plants in pots.
When should I prune it?
Leave frost damage alone until frost danger has passed, usually by March, or until new growth shows what is alive. Do the main pruning in spring, with light trims between bloom flushes. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
Does it need fertilizer?
Give it only a little. One light feeding in spring is enough for plants in the ground. Too much fertilizer gives you more leaves and fewer flowers.
Is it messy near a pool?
It can make a mess there. The papery bracts drop and blow around the yard, so plant it well back from the pool. Its roots are not known to be aggressive. Grown in a pot, it makes less mess.
Is bougainvillea poisonous to dogs or cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The long, sharp thorns are the bigger worry, so keep it off dog runs and play areas.
What is chewing the 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 the damage, and a BT caterpillar spray is the usual fix for young or badly hit plants.
Gold Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Gold Bougainvillea is a bush-form bougainvillea with gold bracts, grown across the Valley for color in full sun and reflected heat. Below is what to expect from it in an Arizona yard, from size and spacing to water, bloom, winter care and pruning.
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 big does a bougainvillea bush get in Phoenix?
Grown as a bush, bougainvillea commonly runs about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Without pruning or with something to climb, it can ramble much larger. A light trim between bloom flushes keeps it in bush shape.
How far apart do you plant bougainvillea for a hedge?
For a low hedge or border, 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 your row.
How do you plant bougainvillea without hurting the roots?
Bougainvillea has fine roots that do not like being disturbed. Handle the root ball gently at planting and do not break it apart. Plant in soil that drains well, and water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted.
Why won't my bougainvillea bloom?
Most of the time it is too much water or too much fertilizer. Rich, wet soil keeps it growing leaves. Water deeply but less often, let the soil dry in between, and give it full sun.
Can bougainvillea grow on a west wall?
Yes. It is one of the few flowering plants that holds up on a hot west-facing wall in the Valley. It loves summer heat and reflected sun, and it needs at least six hours of sun for the best color.
What should you do with bougainvillea after a freeze?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back and strip the leaves. Leave the damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March, or until new growth shows. It usually grows back quickly once spring warms up.
Can bougainvillea grow in a pot in Arizona?
Yes, it does well in containers. A pot keeps it smaller, cuts the bract mess, and makes it easy to cover on freezing nights. Water deeply, then wait until the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
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