Bougainvillea Care: How to Grow Bougainvillea in Pots

I love bougainvillea, as it is the only potted plant in my garden that flowers nearly all year long. I love the beautiful, delicate white flowers surrounded by purple bracts. And the best thing about bougainvillea is that it grows great in pots!

Bougainvilleas grow very well in pots due to their favorable drainage conditions and, with the right care, can grow and flower for many years.

I plant my bougainvillea in clay, terracotta, or ceramic pots that are at least 12 inches across. To ensure good drainage, I use a potting mix that is 80% compost to 20% grit.

Place the bougainvillea in full sun and water the pot with a good soak once a week during Spring and Summer and once every 2 to 3 weeks in Winter.

For those of you in a rush, I created a table summarizing the most important aspects of bougainvillea care in pots…

Keep reading to learn how to grow bougainvillea successfully in both Summer and Winter in different climates and how to promote more flowers throughout the year…

Best Pots and Containers for Bougainvillea

I have experimented with several different pots for bougainvillea, and clay, terracotta, or unglazed ceramic pots are my favorites. It is essential that the pot measures around 12 inches across and the same depth. The pot must also have drainage holes in the base to allow excess water to drain away.

I discovered that clay, terracotta, and ceramic pots are best for bougainvillea because they remain cooler than plastic and metal pots when in full sun and have a porous structure that helps the soil dry evenly after watering or rainfall.

As well discussed, bougainvillea requires the soil to dry out between bouts of watering as it has adapted to drought conditions, which is why the porous structure of clay pots is so good.

Plastic pots can sometimes prevent the soil from drying evenly as they are impermeable and conduct more heat, which can cause the roots unnecessary heat stress when bougainvillea are in full sun.

I recommend that you choose a pot that is around 12 inches across and the same proportional depth because this size pot has enough capacity for soil, which contains nutrients, and allows the roots enough room to develop and uptake the moisture they require.

From my research, I found bougainvillea flower better in a pot that is proportional to the size of the plant which slightly restricts the roots as this causes stress which promotes flowering (bougainvillea requires some adversity to stimulate flowering).

If the pot is too large, the bougainvillea redirects its energy into growing roots and your bougainvillea displays fewer flowers.

Of course, we need to choose a pot with drainage holes in the base to allow excess water to drain. If you live in a climate of high humidity or rainfall, it is best practice to place your bougainvillea pot on feet (bricks or stones work well) to elevate it an inch off the ground.

This prevents water from collecting underneath the pot and allows greater airflow to dry out the soil at the bottom of the pot to reduce the risk of root rot.

Planting Bougainvilleas in Pots

Plant bougainvillea in pots with a 1-inch layer of gravel at the base of the pot to promote good drainage.

Bougainvillea grows best in a potting mix that is around 80% multipurpose compost to 20% horticultural grit. This potting mix ensures the optimal drainage conditions for bougainvillea to maintain the right balance of moisture.

I experimented personally with several different potting mixes. I found that you can substitute grit for horticultural sand. But I found that if you are in a climate with frequent rainfall (like me), then grit works better than sand as it increases the drainage rate to provide the dry soil conditions that my bougainvillea plants prefer.

To understand how to care for bougainvillea in pots I always think it is best if we understand where bougainvillea come from and how they grow in their native environment…

Bougainvillea grows in its native South America, in soil that drains efficiently and bougainvilleas do not tolerate consistently damp soil as this promotes the conditions for root rot and fungal disease.

This is why I love a gritty soil mix. It provides the aerated, porous soil structure that allows excess water to drain away from the roots, effectively replicating the soil conditions of the bougainvillea’s native soil.

If you plant them straight into potting soil or compost without any gravel, sand, or perlite then the potting medium may retain too much water your bougainvillea.

When we plan our bougainvillea do not compress the soil too firmly as this pushes out air and makes the potting medium less porous which can cause it to retain too much moisture for a plant that prefers dyers soil.

I recommend always watering your bougainvillea in well with a good soak after planting or repotting as I found that this can help to mitigate transplant shock.

If your in a climate with higher humidity or rainfall like me, the importance of a well draining gritty soil mix increases as bougainvillea prefers the soil to dry out somewhat between bouts of watering.

The best soil mix and the right watering schedule are crucial to achieving the optimal balance of moisture for bougainvilleas to grow and display flowers.

Watering Bougainvillea in Pots

In summary, the key to watering bougainvillea is to water thoroughly so that excess water trickles from the base of the pot and ensures moisture reaches the roots. As I stated, allowing the soil to dry out is imperative before watering again.

Typically, water potted bougainvillea once a week in the Spring and Summer and every 2 or 3 weeks in the Fall and Winter to achieve the optimal balance of moisture.

As we discussed, bougainvillea thrives in dryer, gritty soils in its native habitat and grows in a climate that typically has a deluge of rainfall followed by hot and dry conditions.

So, to keep our potted bougainvillea happy, healthy, and free of fungal disease, we must emulate this cycle of watering by giving the bougainvillea a really good drink and then allowing the potting soil to dry out before watering again.

One of the most common reasons I encounter for people’s bougainvillea dying is that they are overwatered, so the soil is consistently damp.

If the soil is saturated and does not dry efficiently, this promotes fungal disease and root rot.

How Often to Watering in Spring and Summer:

As long as your bougainvillea is in the right pot (clay, terracotta, or ceramic) and a good size the typical bougainvillea requires a good soak once every 7 days in Spring and Summer.

However if there has been significant rainfall, I would delay watering until the soil is dryer.

If you are unsure whether you should water your bougainvillea, test the potting soil to a finger depth to detect the level of soil moisture. It can also be useful to feel the soil at the bottom of the pot through the drainage holes at the base to see whether the soil is damp or not. (If the pot is too heavy, then I use a moisture meter).

If the soil feels moist, delay watering for a few days until it feels as though it is just drying out, as this is the perfect time for watering.

It should be noted that watering too often can reduce flowering as bougainvillea often requires some drought stress to stimulate the development of flowers (more on this further down).

How Often to Water Bougainvillea in Fall and Winter:

Bougainvillea requires much less water in Fall and Winter as it enters a state of dormancy with fewer hours of daylight and in response to cooler temperatures. As a general rule, water potted bougainvillea once every 2 or 3 weeks in Winter with a good soak.

If the potting soil is moist from rainfall, it is unnecessary to water your bougainvilleas as it prefers dryer soil.

Some of the advice from the experts I talked to was to water your potted bougainvillea like you would potted Mediterranean herb such as lavender or rosemary. So, if you’re familiar with growing lavender, then you’re set for bougainvillea!

Bear in mind that bougainvillea is not cold hardy and should be brought indoors before the temperature goes below 50°F (10°C), yet it should still be watered once every 2 or 3 weeks with a good soak.

(Read my article, on how to water bougainvillea in pots to learn more about watering and to avoid common mistakes).

Place Potted Bougainvillea in Full Sun

Your bougainvilleas are flowering vines that grow best in full sun, which promotes growth and stimulates flowering. Place your potted bougainvillea in at least 6 hours of direct sunlight so it can display the most flowers possible.

I have grown bougainvillea fewer hours of light, but this results in lots of foliage and fewer flowers, which the opposite of what we want!

Bougainvillea has adapted to grow in full sunlight in its native South American environment which I would keep in mind, helps to increase evaporation after rainfall and allows the soil to dry out efficiently, which contributes to the dryer soil conditions in which bougainvillea thrive.

How to Fertilize Bougainvillea

The most important soil characteristic when growing bougainvillea is that the soil is well-draining rather than overly fertile. If there is too much nitrogen in the soil bougainvillea grows more leaves and fewer flowers. However, we also need to consider that fertilizer can help energize potted bougainvilleas that have exhausted the available nutrients.

In my experience, my bougainvillea flowers well in their first year of potting as they can attain all the nutrients they require from the new potting soil or compost.

After a few years in the same pot, the number of flowers and the health of the foliage can be reduced as the bougainvilleas’ roots have essentially used up the available nutrients in the pot. At this point, I would recommend fertilizing your potted bougainvillea, which can stimulate and support the growth of flowers, foliage, and vines.

I have seen the best results when using a half-strength liquid all-purpose fertilizer in the Spring (after the threat of cold weather and frost has passed), feeding once per week until the middle of July.

It is important to stop feeding in the summer as fertilizer can stimulate softer, lush growth that is particularly susceptible to damage from cold snaps.

Too much fertilizer also creates soft growth that is far more likely to be susceptible to damage from aphids.

The potted bougainvillea in this photo has been fed once per week with miracle-gro fertilizer, but only at half-strength (as it has been in a pot for 4 years) to ensure it has all the nutrients it requires for flowering and growth.

I should note the bougainvillea flowered well for the first 2-3 years without any fertilizer as it was in good compost, in a pot that slightly restricts the roots (which promotes flowering), and in full sunlight.

How to Increase Bougainvillea Blooms

Do you want more bougainvillea flowers?

So I’ve read every book on the topic, watched every video online, and had lengthy conversations with some specialist growers as I find it increasing bougainvillea flowering is a really fascinating topic!

The key to increasing flowering is to plant your bougainvillea in a pot that slightly restricts the roots in full sunlight and avoids overwatering. Bougainvillea flowers best when its roots are somewhat pot-bound and when watered infrequently. Creating mild stress to your bougainvillea promotes flowering.

The reason ‘stress’ to the bougainvillea promotes flowering is that if the plant is under some duress, it is an incentive to prioritize reproduction, which is done, of course, through displaying flowers for pollinators.

So, we need to think of it more as a survival strategy…

One key reason your bougainvillea isn’t flowering enough is that if the plant has lots of moisture, a large pot for the roots to grow in, and lots of nutrients in the form of fertilizers, then your bougainvillea tends to redirect its energy into growing and developing its root system, vine, and foliage rather than prioritize the growth of its bracts and flowers.

(Bracts are specialized leaves that may appear to look like flowers).

This one is my favorite tip that I discovered: Bougainvillea is a short-day plant which means that it flowers its best when the day lengths are shorter than the nights (so less than 12 hours of light).

If the period of darkness is interrupted during the night (think about turning on outdoor lights or street lights), then most bougainvillea cultivars do not flower to the same extent.

My solution here is to find a location without any artificial light that could illuminate your bougainvillea during its 12 hours of darkness or find a way to shade it at night to promote flowering. I have even used an umbrella to shade my bougainvillea from street lighting, which really worked!

Also, note that bougainvillea flowers have new growth, so they respond well to pruning in the early Spring. This stimulates the new growth that displays the flowers and bracts. I always prune mine in March, and mine is covered in flowers!

(Read my article, why is my bougainvillea not blooming? to learn why your bougainvillea does not display flowers and how to solve the problem).

My Tips for Caring for Your Bougainvillea in Winter

To summarize: Bougainvillea does not tolerate the cold and should be brought indoors during Winter if your climate experiences night temperatures lower than 50°F (10°C) at night. Water bougainvillea less frequently, around once every 2 or 3 weeks, but always water with a good soak.

Bougainvillea can flower year-round if the temperatures are warm enough (if you are lucky enough to live in a Mediterranean climate; however, they often only grow and flower significantly in Spring and Summer in cooler climates like mine.

In Winter, bougainvillea often loses its leaves, either due to the cold or the shock of the change in conditions when it is brought indoors.

Whilst this is alarming, I can assure you the leaves often grow back when it has adjusted to their new conditions and when the temperatures warm up again in Spring.

I place my bougainvillea on my kitchen window sill as it gets full sun in Winter. Most of the leaves drop off (primarily due to the temperature fluctuations indoors, but it obviously protects my plant from frost, and my bougainvillea grows new leaves in the Spring.

This is another reason why I use fertilizer, as it can provide the bougainvillea with the resources it needs to grow new leaves.

(Read my article, why is my bougainvillea losing its leaves? for how to save it).

I advise always placing your bougainvillea in full sun even in Winter, as this can prevent the plant dropping its leaves and make sure it is in a room free of draughts from air conditioning or air currents from sources of heat. The more stable the temperature the better for your bougainvillea.

Of course, you should not feed bougainvillea in winter as new growth is susceptible to damage from the cold. Bougainvillea enters a state of dormancy over Winter in cooler climates with lower light intensity and fewer hours of light.

This significantly reduces the demand for water, so I only water my bougainvillea once every 2 or 3 weeks during Winter.

If you are in a climate with mild Winters and you can leave your bougainvillea pots outdoors, then your bougainvillea is unlikely to need much watering during Winter months as it can often attain enough water from rainfall.

(Read my article, why is my bougainvillea dying? if you are having any problems).

Pruning and Training Your Potted Bougainvillea

As bougainvillea is a flowering vine, it requires some support and training with a stake once it reaches a certain size to ensure it can grow tall in the sun and prevent it from drooping.

However, from my experience, this can take years, particularly if you are not growing bougainvillea in its ideal Mediterranean climate.

However, I spoke to my friends in Southern France about growing Bougainvillea (in arguably the ideal climate for bougainvillea), and due to the more favorable growing conditions, they told me their bougainvillea could require staking after just a year or so of growth, it obviously depends on your climate.

Training bougainvillea is often as simple as using a bamboo cane to stake in the soil and tying the vine in place with string or cable ties.

Of course, depending on your circumstances, you can train bougainvilleas to fence or trellis, but with a bamboo cane, your bougainvillea pot can be fully mobile for when you need to bring it in in the Winter.

Many bougainvillea cultivars can support themselves without canes or trellis, which makes them great for pots as long as they are pruned to a compact size.

Prune the new growth back significantly with a sharp pair of pruners in early Spring to keep your potted bougainvillea compact and promote new flowers forming.

Here is a YouTube video with a close-up of how to prune your potted bougainvillea:

Key Takeaways:

• Bougainvillea grows best in clay or terracotta pots 12 inches across, with a gritty mix of 80% compost and 20% grit. Water once per week in Spring and Summer and once every 2 or 3 weeks in Fall and Winter. Bring bougainvillea pots indoors when night temperatures are below 50°F (10°C).
• Clay, terracotta, and ceramic pots are the best choices for growing bougainvillea. Clay and terracotta pots allow the soil to dry evenly after watering, and they also do not heat up in the sun as quickly as metal or plastic pots, which helps to resist heat stress in Summer.
• Watering potted bougainvillea thoroughly so that excess water trickles from the base of the pot. Water once a week during Spring and Summer to support active growth and once every 2 to 3 weeks in Winter when growth slows down. Always allow the soil to dry before watering again.
• Plant bougainvilleas in a potting mix of 80% compost or potting soil and 20% grit or perlite to create optimal drainage conditions and an aerated potting medium. This will help bougainvilleas grow well, flower more, and avoid root rot.
• Place your bougainvillea pot in full sun to promote flowering. If the bougainvillea is in too much shade, it grows lots of foliage and fewer flowers. Place potted bougainvillea in a sunny window during Winter to prevent it from losing as many leaves and to protect it from cold weather.
• To support growth and flower displays, use a half-strength liquid fertilizer to feed bougainvillea in pots from the start of Spring until mid-July.
• Bougainvillea is not cold and hardy in winter and should be brought indoors when the temperature at night is below 50°F (10°C). Place bougainvillea pots in a sunny window in Winter to prevent them from dropping leaves, water once every 2 or 3 weeks, and do not feed until the following Spring.
• Give bougainvillea a hard prune at the start of Spring to encourage new growth, which promotes more flowers and bougainvillea flowers on new growth. Prune back any faded flowers throughout the year to stimulate the growth of more flowers.
• Place bougainvillea in full sun to encourage flowering and allow the soil to dry out after watering. Plant bougainvillea in pots that slightly restrict the roots and shield bougainvillea from light at night. Bougainvillea are short-day plants requiring more darkness than light to flower their best.