Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Purple Bougainvillea
Purple Bougainvillea fills a hot, sunny bed with deep purple bracts from spring through fall. This one is grown as a bush, so it fits a border, a low flowering hedge or a big patio pot. It handles full sun and the reflected heat off a west wall. Water it deeply, then let the soil dry out before the next watering.
Best for: sunny beds and borders that need deep purple color, a low flowering hedge, and large patio pots. It is a vigorous purple bougainvillea kept in bush form for hot spots where few flowering plants last.
The bracts are deep purple and come in flushes from spring through fall. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off a west wall. Give it at least six hours of direct sun.
This purple type is a vigorous grower, so it takes regular trims to stay a bush. Kept that way, it commonly runs 3 to 6 feet tall, and plants spaced 4 to 5 feet apart make a border.
A large pot keeps it smaller and cuts down on bract mess. You can move or cover it on a freezing night. Water once the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
A frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back, though it usually regrows. The stems are thorny and the papery bracts blow around, so keep it away from pools, walks and play areas.
- Border or 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. Do not feed it 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. Treat 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 Purple Bougainvillea?
The bracts are a deep purple. The color comes from papery bracts, which are colored leaves wrapped around small white true flowers.
How big does it get as a bush?
Kept as a bush, it commonly runs about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. It is a vigorous grower, so it needs regular trims to hold that size. With something to climb, it can reach about 20 feet.
How far apart should I plant it for a border?
Plant them about 4 to 5 feet apart for a border or low hedge. For standard spacing, go 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
How do I plant it?
Bougainvillea roots do not like being disturbed, so set the root ball in whole and do not break it apart. Pick soil that drains well. Water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted.
How often should I water it once it is growing?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next watering. Past its first summer, it rarely needs water more than once a week, even in summer.
Why does my bougainvillea have lots of leaves but little purple?
Too much water or too much fertilizer is the usual cause. Rich, wet soil keeps it growing leaves. Water less often, feed only lightly in spring, and give it full sun.
Does it bloom all summer?
It blooms in flushes from spring through fall, with growth spurts in between. Color is often heaviest in the cooler months and can slow in the hottest part of summer. In a mild winter it can keep going.
What happens to it in a freeze?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the stems, and a freeze can strip the leaves. It usually regrows quickly once spring warms up. Cover it on frost nights, which is easiest 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. Do the main pruning in spring, with light trims between bloom flushes. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
Can I plant it near the pool?
It is better kept back from the pool. The papery bracts drop and blow around the yard. The roots are not known to be aggressive.
Is it poisonous to dogs or cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The sharp thorns are the bigger worry, so keep it off dog runs and play areas.
What is chewing holes in 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 it, and a BT caterpillar spray helps young or badly hit plants.
Purple Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Purple Bougainvillea is the deep purple bougainvillea long sold in Arizona as Bougainvillea brasiliensis, grown here in bush form. People plant it for color in sun-baked beds, borders and pots. Below is what to expect from its size, spacing, watering, bloom, frost 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.
Does purple bougainvillea grow well in Phoenix yards?
Yes. Purple bougainvillea brings deep purple bracts to beds that bake in full sun, flowering in flushes from spring through fall and handling reflected heat off a west wall. Six or more hours of direct sun gives the best color.
Is Bougainvillea brasiliensis the same as spectabilis?
Yes. Bougainvillea brasiliensis is an older name that botanists now file under Bougainvillea spectabilis, and nurseries still sell purple bougainvillea under the brasiliensis name. It is the same kind of plant either way.
How do you keep bougainvillea as a bush?
Purple bougainvillea grows fast and wants to ramble, so a bush takes regular trims. Do the main pruning in spring after frost danger has passed. Light trims between bloom flushes keep it 3 to 6 feet tall.
How far apart do you plant bougainvillea bushes?
For a border or low hedge, plant about 4 to 5 feet apart. For standard spacing, go 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page works out how many plants you need.
How much water does bougainvillea need in Arizona?
Water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted. After that, water deeply and let the soil dry in between. It rarely needs water more than once a week, and too much water cuts down on color.
Will bougainvillea come back after frost damage in the Valley?
It usually grows back, even after frost around 28 to 32°F burns it back and strips its leaves. Leave the damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March, and new growth comes quickly as the weather warms.
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.