Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pink Pearl Bougainvillea
Pink Pearl Bougainvillea carries pink and white bracts on a vigorous, heat-loving plant. This one is grown as a bush, so it suits a sunny bed, a low flowering hedge or a big patio pot. It handles full sun and the heat bouncing off a west wall. Let the soil dry between deep waterings and it colors up in flushes from spring through fall.
Best for: sunny beds along a hot wall, a low hedge of pink and white color beside a walk, and large pots on a patio. It is a bush bougainvillea for spots with full sun and reflected heat.
Bougainvillea is one of the few flowering plants that holds up against a west-facing wall. Plant it where it gets six or more hours of direct sun and the soil drains well.
As a bush it commonly stays about 3 to 6 feet tall with pruning. Set plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for a hedge that fills in. Trim lightly between bloom flushes to keep the shape.
A pot keeps it smaller and holds down the bract mess, and it is easy to throw a cover over on a frost night. Water once the top 2 inches of soil have dried.
A frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back, though it usually comes back from the roots. It has sharp thorns, and the papery bracts drop and blow around. Keep it away from the pool and busy paths.
- 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.
What color is Pink Pearl Bougainvillea?
The bracts are pink and white. The color is in the papery bracts, which wrap around small white true flowers.
How big does it get as a bush?
Kept as a bush, bougainvillea commonly runs about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Pink Pearl is a vigorous grower, and left untrained with something to lean on it can ramble much larger.
How far apart should I plant Pink Pearl?
Plant them about 4 to 5 feet apart for a low hedge or border, or 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, for standard spacing. The Spacing tab works out the plant count for your row.
How often does it need water?
Soak it deeply, then let the top couple of inches of soil dry out. After its first summer it rarely needs water more than once a week, even in the heat.
Why is my bougainvillea all leaves and no color?
It is usually too much water or too much fertilizer. Rich, wet soil keeps it growing leaves, so water less often, skip strong fertilizer, and make sure it sits in full sun.
When does Pink Pearl bloom?
It blooms in flushes from spring through fall, with growth spurts in between. A mild winter can keep it going, and color is often heaviest in the cooler months.
Can it handle a west wall?
Yes. Bougainvillea is one of the few flowering plants that takes the reflected heat of a west-facing wall in the Valley. Full sun gives the most color.
What happens to it in a frost?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the stems and knock off the leaves. It usually grows back quickly from the roots in spring. Covering it on frost nights helps, and pots are easy to cover.
When is the best time to prune it?
Leave frost damage alone until frost danger has passed, usually by March, or until new growth shows. Do the main pruning in spring and light trims between flushes, wearing gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
How much fertilizer does it need?
It needs very little fertilizer. One light feeding in spring is plenty for a plant in the ground. Extra fertilizer gives you more leaves and fewer bracts.
Is it a good plant near a pool?
It is better kept well back, since the papery bracts fall and blow around the yard. The roots are not known to be aggressive, and a pot cuts down the mess.
Is Pink Pearl poisonous to dogs or cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The sharp thorns are the bigger concern, so keep it out of dog runs and play areas.
Pink Pearl Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pink Pearl Bougainvillea is a pink and white bougainvillea grown here in bush form for beds, low hedges and pots. It takes full sun and hot walls across the Valley. This page covers how big it gets, how far apart to plant it, and how to water, feed and prune it through the year.
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What color is Pink Pearl Bougainvillea?
Pink Pearl has pink and white bracts, which are papery leaves around tiny white true flowers. The color comes in flushes from spring through fall.
How big does a bougainvillea bush get in the Valley?
As a bush, bougainvillea commonly stays about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide with light pruning. Without trimming, or with a wall to lean on, it rambles much larger. Pink Pearl is a vigorous grower, so plan on regular light trims.
How far apart do you plant a bougainvillea hedge?
Plant about 4 to 5 feet apart for a low hedge or border that fills in. For standard spacing, go 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for you.
How do you plant bougainvillea so it takes off?
Bougainvillea roots are fine and do not like to be disturbed. Set the root ball in whole without breaking it apart. Use soil that drains well, and water on a regular schedule through the first summer.
How often do you water bougainvillea in Phoenix?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before watering again. After the first summer it rarely needs water more than once a week, even in the heat. Too much water keeps it growing leaves instead of color.
How do you prune bougainvillea after a frost?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn bougainvillea back. Leave the damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March, or until new growth shows. It usually regrows quickly from the roots.
Can bougainvillea grow in pots on a patio?
Yes, it grows well in containers. A pot keeps it smaller, cuts down on fallen bracts, and makes frost nights easy to handle. Water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
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