Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
White Bougainvillea Staked
White Bougainvillea Staked comes trained up a stake, ready to go up a wall, fence or trellis. Its bracts are bright white from spring through fall. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off a west wall, and it can also be pruned up into a small tree shape. Water it deeply, let it dry out in between, and it grows quickly once spring warms up.
Best for: covering a hot wall, fence or trellis with white color, a small tree shape pruned up from the stake, and big pots with a short trellis. It is a climbing bougainvillea for full sun and reflected heat.
It does not cling on its own, so tie the stems to a trellis, wire or fence as it grows. Along a wall or fence run, space plants about 6 to 8 feet apart. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off west walls.
Staked plants can be pruned up into a small tree shape. Keep it tied to the stake while it is young, since it needs support early. As the stems thicken it can stand on its own.
In a large pot with a short trellis it stays smaller and drops less mess. You can cover it or move it on a freezing night. Water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it back, though it usually regrows from the roots. The stems carry large thorns, and the papery bracts drop and blow around. Keep it back from pools, walkways and play areas.
- Faster wall or fence coverage6 ft apart
- Standard wall or fence run6-8 ft apart
Tie the stems to your trellis, fence or arbor as they grow, because it will not attach by itself. Save the main pruning for spring after frost, and trim lightly after each flush of color. Wear gloves and long sleeves for the thorns.
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.
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.
Does it climb on its own?
No. Bougainvillea does not cling or grab like some vines. Tie the stems to a trellis, wire or fence as it grows, and keep it tied to its stake while it is young.
How tall will it get on a wall or trellis?
With support it commonly reaches about 10 to 20 feet, and it spreads about as wide over time. Without support it sprawls into a rambling bush. You can keep it smaller with pruning.
Can I grow it as a small tree?
Yes. Staked plants can be pruned up into a small tree shape. It needs the stake early on, then the stems thicken and it can stand on its own.
How far apart should I plant it along a wall or fence?
Plant them about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, or about 6 feet apart for faster coverage. The Spacing tab counts plants for your wall or fence length.
Is the white part the flower?
The white is papery bracts, which are colored leaves around small true flowers. They come in flushes from spring through fall. In a mild winter it can keep blooming.
How should I plant it?
Handle the root ball gently and do not break it apart, since bougainvillea roots do not like being disturbed. Plant it in soil that drains well. Water regularly through the first summer while it gets rooted.
How much water does it need once it is growing?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out before the next watering. Past its first summer it rarely needs water more than once a week. Extra water gives you leaves instead of bracts.
Does it keep blooming in the summer heat?
Yes. It loves heat and full sun, though color is often heaviest in the cooler months and blooming can slow in the hottest stretch of summer.
What happens in a freeze?
Frost around 28 to 32°F can burn it and strip the leaves. It usually regrows quickly from the roots in spring. Wait until frost danger has passed, usually by March, before cutting off the damage.
Is it thorny?
Yes. The stems carry large, sharp thorns. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you tie or prune it, and keep it back from walkways and play areas.
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 safe for dogs and cats?
It is not known to be poisonous to pets. The thorns are the main risk, so keep it away from dog runs.
White Bougainvillea Staked for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
White Bougainvillea Staked is a white bougainvillea trained up a stake so it can climb a wall, fence or trellis, or be pruned into a small tree shape. It is grown across the Valley for heat-loving color. Below is how to train it, space it, water it and get it through winter.
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 do you grow bougainvillea on a wall or trellis in Phoenix?
Bougainvillea does not cling on its own, so it needs a trellis, wire or fence and some ties. Tie new stems in as they grow and guide them where you want coverage. It needs that support early, and older plants can stand on their own.
What is the difference between staked and bush bougainvillea?
It is the same plant, trained two ways. A staked plant is grown up a single stake so it can climb a wall or trellis, or be pruned into a small tree shape. A bush is grown as a shrub for beds, hedges and pots.
How far apart do you plant bougainvillea along a fence?
Space plants about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, along a wall or fence run. Go closer to 6 feet if you want it covered faster. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your length.
When should you prune bougainvillea in Arizona?
Do the main pruning in spring, after frost danger has passed. In the Valley that is usually by March. Light trims between bloom flushes keep it tidy, and gloves and long sleeves help with the thorns.
How do you fertilize bougainvillea for more color?
It needs very little fertilizer. A light feeding in spring is enough for plants in the ground. Too much fertilizer or water keeps it growing leaves, and you get fewer bracts.
What is eating my bougainvillea leaves?
Ragged leaf edges and tiny black droppings usually mean the bougainvillea looper. It is a small green to brown inchworm that feeds at night and is hard to spot. Healthy plants handle it, and a BT caterpillar spray helps young or badly hit plants.
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.