Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Raspberry Ice Bougainvillea
Raspberry Ice Bougainvillea pairs raspberry-pink bracts with green leaves edged in cream, so it has color even between blooms. It is a low, mounding variety that spreads wider than it grows tall. That shape suits sunny beds, borders, slopes and big patio pots. It takes full sun and the heat off a west wall, and it needs little water once rooted.
Best for: low color in sunny beds and borders, spilling over a slope or low wall, and large patio pots or hanging baskets. It is a mounding bougainvillea for full sun and reflected heat.
Raspberry Ice mounds about 2 to 3 feet tall and spreads 5 to 6 feet wide, so it fills the front of a sunny bed. Give it six or more hours of direct sun. Plant about 6 to 8 feet apart, or 4 to 5 feet apart for a border that knits together.
Its spreading habit is why it is used as a ground cover on sunny banks and at the top of low walls. Let the canes trail, and trim only the ones that reach where you do not want them. Plant it in soil that drains and let it dry between soaks.
It is a common pick for big pots and hanging baskets, because the cream-edged leaves carry the show between flushes of bloom. Use a container with drainage holes and a fast-draining mix. Water when the top 2 to 3 inches are dry, and cover it on frost nights.
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the stems and drop the leaves, though it usually regrows from the roots. The canes have sharp thorns, and the papery bracts fall and blow around. Keep it back from pools, walkways and play areas.
- Border or low hedge4-5 ft apart
- Plant to plant in a bed6-8 ft apart
Water a new plant often at first, then stretch it out to about once a week through its first summer. Once it is rooted, soak it about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter. Let the soil dry between soaks, because wet soil gives you leaves instead of color.
Shape it in spring once frost danger has passed. After each round of bloom, trim the soft tips of the stems to bring on bushier growth and more color. Gloves and long sleeves help with the thorns.
Temperatures around 28 to 32°F can burn it, and a hard freeze can drop the leaves. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet, not plastic, on frost nights. Leave the damage until frost danger has passed, usually by March, then cut back to just above the new growth.
Feed it lightly once in spring and skip fertilizer in winter. More feeding than that gives you more leaves and fewer bracts.
Bougainvillea loopers are small green to brown inchworms that chew the leaf edges at night and leave small black droppings. A healthy, rooted plant handles the damage. Use a BT caterpillar spray only on a young plant or a heavy case.
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 Raspberry Ice Bougainvillea?
The bracts are raspberry-pink, and the leaves are green with cream to white edges. The color is in the papery bracts, which surround small white true flowers.
How big does Raspberry Ice get?
It is a low, mounding variety that commonly reaches about 2 to 3 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide. Some growers list it a little taller, at 3 to 5 feet. Trim the tips after bloom to keep it dense.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, or 4 to 5 feet apart for a border that fills in. The Spacing tab works out how many plants your bed needs.
Is Raspberry Ice hardier than other bougainvilleas?
It is known as one of the hardier bougainvilleas, but it is still frost tender. Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn the branches. It usually grows back quickly from the roots, so cover it on frost nights and wait for spring to prune.
Can it grow in a pot or hanging basket?
Yes. Its low, spreading shape is why it is often grown in pots and hanging baskets. Use a container with drainage holes, and water when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are dry.
How often should I water it?
Water it regularly through the first summer while it roots in. After that, a deep soak about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter is enough. Let the soil dry between soaks.
Why is my Raspberry Ice not blooming?
Too much water or fertilizer keeps bougainvillea growing leaves. Water less often, feed it lightly once in spring, and make sure it gets full sun. Drier soil pushes it into bloom.
Can it take a hot west wall?
Yes. Bougainvillea is one of the few flowering plants that handles the reflected heat of a west-facing wall in the Valley. Give it full sun for the best bract color.
When should I prune it?
Do the main pruning in spring after frost danger has passed, usually by March. Trim the soft tips after each round of bloom, since new growth carries the color. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
How should I plant it?
Slide the root ball out gently and plant it whole, because the fine roots do not like being disturbed. Spring after the last frost is the best time, in a spot that drains well.
Can I plant it near a pool?
It is better kept back from the pool, because the papery bracts drop and blow around. The roots are not known to be aggressive, and a pot helps contain the mess.
Is it poisonous to dogs or cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The thorns are the bigger concern, so keep it out of dog runs and off pet paths.
Raspberry Ice Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Raspberry Ice Bougainvillea is a low, mounding bougainvillea with raspberry-pink bracts and green and cream leaves. Valley homeowners plant it in sunny beds, on slopes and in pots. This page covers how big it gets, how far apart to plant it, and how to water, trim and protect it.
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How big does Raspberry Ice bougainvillea get?
Raspberry Ice is a low, mounding bougainvillea. It commonly reaches about 2 to 3 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide, and some growers list it at 3 to 5 feet tall. Tip trimming after bloom keeps it dense.
Which bougainvillea has green and white leaves?
Raspberry Ice is a bougainvillea with two-tone leaves. They are green with cream to white edges, and the bracts are raspberry-pink. The leaf color gives it contrast between flushes of bloom.
How far apart do you plant Raspberry Ice bougainvillea?
Space plants about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, in a bed. For a border that fills in, plant 4 to 5 feet apart. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
Is Raspberry Ice bougainvillea frost hardy in Phoenix?
It is one of the hardier bougainvilleas, but frost around 28 to 32°F still burns the branches. In Phoenix an unprotected plant can lose much of its top and then regrow quickly from the roots. Cover it on frost nights and prune in spring.
Can bougainvillea be used as a ground cover in Arizona?
Low, spreading varieties like Raspberry Ice are used as ground cover on sunny banks and in wide beds. It needs full sun and soil that drains. Water deeply and let the soil dry between soaks.
How often do you water bougainvillea in the Valley?
A rooted plant needs a deep soak about every 7 to 10 days in summer and about once a month in winter. New plants need regular water through the first summer. Too much water means leaves and little color.
Raspberry Ice bougainvillea in pots and hanging baskets
Its mounding, trailing shape suits big pots and hanging baskets. Use a fast-draining mix in a container with drainage holes. Water when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are dry.
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