Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
White Bougainvillea
White Bougainvillea is a bush-form bougainvillea with bright white bracts from spring through fall. Kept as a shrub, it suits a sunny bed, a natural hedge along a walkway, or a container on a hot patio. It loves summer heat and gets by on low water once it is rooted. Most desert soils work, as long as they drain.
Best for: sunny beds and borders, a natural flowering hedge along a walkway, and containers on a hot patio. It is a shrub-form bougainvillea for white color that holds up to Valley summers.
Plant it in a bed that gets full sun and drains well. White bracts show up in flushes from spring through fall. It takes the reflected heat off hot walls.
Bougainvillea makes a natural hedge along walkways. Set bushes about 4 to 5 feet apart so the row fills in. Light trims after each bloom flush keep the row neat.
It does well in the ground or in containers. A pot keeps it smaller and cuts down the mess. It also makes the plant easy to cover on a freezing night.
The stems carry large thorns, and the papery bracts drop and blow around. Keep it back from pools and busy paths. Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it, though it usually regrows from the roots.
- Hedge along a walkway4-5 ft apart
- Standard bed 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.
Save the main trim for spring, once frost is past. After each flush of color, cut it back lightly to push new growth, which carries the next round of bloom. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
A single light feeding in spring does the job. Do not feed it in winter. Heavy feeding keeps it growing leaves instead of blooming.
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.
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 White Bougainvillea get as a bush?
As a shrub it commonly stays about 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Given something to climb and no pruning, bougainvillea can grow much bigger.
How do I keep it bush-sized?
Give it a light trim after each bloom flush. It blooms on new growth, so trimming after a flush brings on more color. Save any big cutting for spring.
Can I plant it as a hedge?
Yes. It makes a natural hedge along a walkway or border. Space the bushes about 4 to 5 feet apart so they fill in. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
What soil does it need?
It grows in any desert soil that drains well, from clay to sandy or rocky ground. Alkaline soil is fine too.
How do I water a new plant?
Water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted. After that, soak it deeply and let the soil dry out in between. It rarely needs water more than once a week, even in summer.
Does it bloom all year?
White bracts come in flushes from spring through fall. In a winter without frost it can keep blooming. Too much water pushes leaves instead of bracts.
Will it grow in part shade?
It will grow in part shade, but full sun gives the most bracts. Give it at least six hours of direct sun if you want heavy color.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes. It does well in containers, where it stays smaller and makes less mess. Water deeply, then wait until the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
What should I do on frost nights?
Cover it when frost is in the forecast, since damage starts around 28 to 32°F. If it does get burned, leave the damage until frost danger has passed. It usually regrows quickly from the roots.
Does it have thorns?
Yes, large ones. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you trim it, and plant it a little back from paths so people do not brush against it.
Is it messy?
The papery bracts drop and blow around the yard, so it is better kept away from pools. The roots are not known to be aggressive. Grown in a pot, it makes less mess.
Is it safe around pets?
It is not known to be poisonous to dogs or cats. The thorns are what to watch, so keep it out of dog runs and play areas.
White Bougainvillea for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
White Bougainvillea is a shrub-form bougainvillea with bright white bracts, grown in Valley yards for heat-loving color from spring through fall. This page covers bush size, hedge spacing, soil, watering a new plant, sun and shade, and how to keep it a tidy shape.
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.
Can white bougainvillea be a low hedge?
Yes. Bougainvillea makes a natural flowering hedge along walkways in Valley yards. Space bushes about 4 to 5 feet apart so the row fills in, and trim lightly after each bloom flush to keep it neat.
How do you keep bougainvillea small?
Trim lightly after each bloom flush and do the bigger cutting in spring. It blooms on new growth, so regular light trims bring on more color. Growing it in a pot also keeps it smaller.
Can bougainvillea grow in part shade in Arizona?
It will grow in part shade, but it blooms far more in full sun. Aim for at least six hours of direct sun. A hot, sunny bed or a spot with reflected heat gives the best show.
What soil does bougainvillea need?
The main thing is drainage. It grows in clay, loam or sand, and alkaline soil is fine too.
How do you water a new bougainvillea in Phoenix?
Water a new plant regularly through its first summer while it gets rooted. After that, soak deeply and let the soil dry in between. Once past its first summer it rarely needs water more than once a week.
Should you cover bougainvillea on frost nights?
Yes. Frost damage starts around 28 to 32°F, so cover it when a frost is forecast, and potted plants are easy to cover or move. If it does get burned, wait until frost danger passes before trimming.
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