Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
La Jolla Bougainvillea
La Jolla Bougainvillea is a compact, shrubby variety with red bracts, usually topping out around 4 to 5 feet tall and wide. That size makes it easy to fit in a bed, a low screen or a large patio pot. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off a west wall. Give it deep, infrequent water and it colors up in flushes from spring into fall.
Best for: large patio pots, low screens and sunny beds, hot west-facing walls, and slopes where a spreading shrub can fill in. It is a smaller red bougainvillea for yards without room for a big climbing vine.
La Jolla is shrubby and compact, which makes it a good container plant. A pot also keeps the bract drop in one place, and you can cover it on a freezing night. Water deeply, then let the top 2 inches of soil dry.
It grows to about 4 to 5 feet tall and about as wide. Set plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for a low screen that closes up. Light trims between bloom flushes keep the shape tidy.
It handles full sun and the reflected heat off a west-facing wall. It can also spill over a sunny slope as a spreading groundcover. Plant it in soil that drains well.
Leaves and stems can burn at around 28 to 32°F, though it usually regrows from the roots. The stems have sharp thorns, and the papery bracts drop and blow around. Keep it back from pools and walkways, and do not overwater.
- Low screen or border4-5 ft apart
- Standard spacing6-8 ft apart
Keep a new plant on a regular deep-water schedule through its first summer, easing to about once a week. Once rooted, it wants a deep soak about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about monthly in winter. Letting the soil dry between soaks pushes bloom, while constant water keeps it leafy.
Wait for spring, once frost is past, for the main trim. After each round of color, a light trim brings on new growth, and the next bloom forms on it. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
It starts to take damage around 28 to 32°F. Throw frost cloth or an old sheet over it on frost nights, never plastic. If it gets hit, leave the dead stems until frost danger passes, usually by March, then cut back to where new growth shows. It regrows from the roots.
A single light feeding in spring does the job. Do not feed it in winter. Heavy feeding keeps it growing leaves instead of blooming.
If leaf edges look ragged and you see small black droppings, loopers are feeding at night. These small green to brown inchworms rarely hurt a healthy plant. 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.
How big does La Jolla Bougainvillea get?
It is one of the compact, shrubby varieties, about 4 to 5 feet tall and about as wide. It grows at a moderate to fast pace, with the biggest push in spring.
What color is La Jolla Bougainvillea?
La Jolla has red bracts, which are the papery leaves that surround its small white true flowers.
How is La Jolla different from Barbara Karst?
La Jolla stays a compact shrub around 4 to 5 feet. Barbara Karst is a big climbing vine that commonly reaches 10 to 15 feet or more with support. Pick La Jolla when you want bougainvillea color in a smaller space.
Can I grow La Jolla in a pot?
Yes. It is compact and shrubby, and it does well in containers. A pot keeps the bract mess contained and makes it easy to cover on frost nights. Water deeply, then wait until the top 2 inches are dry.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 4 to 5 feet apart for a low screen or border. For standard spacing, set them 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply and let the soil dry out in between. Water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted. After that it rarely needs water more than once a week, even in summer.
Why is my bougainvillea all leaves and no color?
The usual cause is too much water or too much fertilizer. Both keep it in growing mode instead of blooming. Water less often, skip strong fertilizer, and give it full sun.
When does it bloom?
It colors up in flushes from spring into fall, resting to grow between flushes. In a mild winter it can keep some color. Bloom is often heaviest in the cooler months and can slow in the peak of summer.
How cold can La Jolla take?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the leaves and stems. The plant itself is rated hardy to about 20 to 25°F, and it usually regrows from the roots. Cover it on frost nights.
When should I prune it?
Leave any frost damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March, or until new growth appears. Do the main pruning in spring and light trims between bloom flushes. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
Is it messy near a pool?
It can make a mess there, because fallen bracts blow around the yard. Plant it well back from the water. Its roots are not known to be aggressive.
Is bougainvillea poisonous to dogs or cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The sharp thorns are the bigger concern, so keep it away from dog runs and play areas.
La Jolla Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
La Jolla Bougainvillea is a compact red variety that stays around 4 to 5 feet as a shrub. It suits beds, pots and low screens in the Valley. Below you will find its size, spacing, watering, bloom, winter care and pruning, and how it compares to the big climbing types.
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 La Jolla bougainvillea get in Arizona?
La Jolla is a compact, shrubby variety that grows to about 4 to 5 feet tall and about as wide. It suits beds, low screens and large pots. It grows quickest once spring warms up.
What is the difference between La Jolla and Barbara Karst bougainvillea?
Both have red to magenta bracts, but they grow very differently. Barbara Karst is a climbing vine that commonly reaches 10 to 15 feet or more on a support. La Jolla stays a compact shrub around 4 to 5 feet.
What is the best bougainvillea for a pot in Phoenix?
Compact varieties like La Jolla do well in containers. A pot holds the bract drop in one spot and is easy to cover on freezing nights. Water deeply, then let the top 2 inches of soil dry out.
How far apart do you plant La Jolla bougainvillea?
Plant about 4 to 5 feet apart for a low screen or border. For standard spacing, allow 6 to 8 feet, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
How often do you water bougainvillea in the Valley?
Water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted. After that, soak it deeply and let the soil dry out, rarely more than once a week even in summer. Too much water means more leaves and less color.
Can bougainvillea take a hot west wall?
Yes. Bougainvillea is one of the few flowering plants that holds up to a west-facing wall and its reflected heat. Give it at least six hours of sun for the best color.
How do you plant bougainvillea without hurting the roots?
Bougainvillea roots are fine and do not like being disturbed. Set the root ball in whole and do not break it apart. Pick a spot where the soil drains well.
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