Bougainvillea Winter Care Tips + Answers To Your Questions

Bougainvillea can survive occasional below-freezing night temperatures as long as they aren’t consecutive. A few winters ago here in Tucson, we had 4 or 5 nights below 32F but they weren’t in a row.

My bougies growing against the house were in a protected area and received light cold damage. My Barbara Karst growing in an open spot next to the garage and driveway received more damage.

One of the nights dipped to 26F and that Bougainvillea Barbara Karst received quite a bit of damage. Here’s the key to its survival: The ground didn’t freeze so the roots weren’t damaged. If the roots freeze, then the plant will die. As you can see in a couple of the posts above, I did have to prune out quite a few branches which had gotten hit.

Different sources indicate differing lowest temps a bougainvillea can take. I’m not sure of an exact number so I share my experiences instead. If you have a reputable garden center with a knowledgeable staff in your area, they’ll be able to give you advice as far as winter temps go.

New plants are more susceptible to freeze damage than larger established ones but are easier to cover.

Yes and no. Bougainvillea plants can be considered semi-deciduous in winter in the 2 climates where I’ve grown them.

In mid-January, the foliage is looking a bit “worn” and tired on my bougies. Some of the heart-shaped leaves have fallen off but a lot still remains on the branches.

Come the end of winter or early spring, the new growth starts to emerge and the foliage from the previous season falls off. By late spring, the new leaves are out in full force.

An interesting note: 3 winters ago 90% of the foliage on my Barbara Karst froze. It eventually died but still remained on the branches until I did the pruning. I was hoping it would fall off, but oh no!

See the answer to the 1st question. Yes, as long as there aren’t consecutive nights below 30F.

Mine survived a light freeze 4 winters ago and a couple of freezes three winters ago.

Some of the outer branches had to be cut out, but the framework of the plant remained.

Large bougainvilleas are hard to cover. The best thing you can do is protect the roots. Apply at least a 3″ layer of mulch (hay, leaves, compost, etc) around the base of the plant covering the area where the roots grow.

Once the weather warms, just be sure to spread the mulch away from the trunk of the plant.

Smaller bougainvilleas growing in the ground or in containers can easily be covered with sheets or freeze cloth.

If your bougainvillea has overwintered indoors, wait until the evenings have consistently warmed above 40 or 45F and the danger of a freeze has passed.

Even though it looks dead, it may not be. The outer growth may have been hit but the inner growth might be just fine. The same applies to the tip growth.

Do a scratch test on a branch and look for green under the bark. The tips of the branches on mine were dead but the rest was alive. I pruned them off after the temps warmed.

It depends on your climate. In Santa Barbara (with milder winter evening temps) it was mid to late winter. I pruned my bougainvilleas at the end of January into February.

Here in Tucson (with colder evening temperatures), I wait until mid- to end-March to do any extensive pruning.

Have patience – you don’t want to prune your bougainvillea and then have another freeze hit!

Yes, you want to plant bougainvillea in a sunny spot. It does best and you’ll get the most bloom with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.

If it’s not getting the direct sunlight it likes and needs, the blooming will be marginal if any at all. After all, who wants a bougainvillea without bougainvillea flowers?!

The plant won’t be as robust if it doesn’t get enough light. Besides bright light, bougainvillea loves heat.

Bougainvillea is a perennial. In climates with cold winters, it could be considered to be an annual if you don’t bring it indoors for the cold months.

Yes, if the environmental conditions are to their liking and with proper care, they sure are. They’ll be slow growing for a year or 2 after planting, but then they really take off, especially in the summer months.

My bougainvilleas in Santa Barbara grew faster than my ones in Tucson do. It’s much hotter here in the summer and colder at night in the winter. That being said, I still have to do regular pruning (prune my bougies 2-3 times a year) to keep them from getting too tall and too wide.

It depends on what climate you’re growing it in, but in the temperate regions (CA & AZ) where I’ve lived, it goes semi-dormant and semi-evergreen. There’s not much if any growth and no new flowering.

In late winter and early spring, it comes back to life and new leaves push the old remaining leaves off and flowers start to appear.

In tropical climates, I would imagine that it stays evergreen all year round.

Not much, if any, care needs to be done. At this time of year, I leave my bougainvillea alone and don’t prune it until the last freeze has passed and the evening temperatures are above 40F.

I keep them on the dry side and water them occasionally, every month or 2 if there’s no rain. An established bougainvillea may not need any supplemental water in the winter.

For instance, I didn’t water my bougainvilleas in Santa Barbara in winter not only because of their age but because of the climate. I lived 7 blocks from the beach so there was fog and periods of cloudy weather. Here in Tucson, there’s very little winter rain and much more sun so I watered my bougies every month or 2.

One thing to note about bougainvillea, no matter the temperature, is that it prefers deep watering to frequent, shallow watering. Too much water can lead to an excess of green growth and perhaps eventually root rot.

A newly planted bougainvillea will need supplemental water year-round for 1 or 2 years. How often depends on the size of the plant, the composition of your native soil, and the weather.

Winter care for potted bougainvillea plants is basically the same for those growing in the ground. The only difference is that you’ll probably have to water bougainvillea container plants more often.
To ensure growing success, just make sure the soil mix allows for good drainage and the pot has drainage holes.

You’ll want to give your potted bougainvillea a light trim a month or 2 before the cooler winter temps set in. I always gave my bougies their biggest pruning in late winter or early spring. That’s the one that would set the tone for the shape I wanted them to take on for the growing season.

If your bougainvillea has overwintered indoors, wait until the colder months have passed and the evenings have warmed above 40 or 45F.