How to Prune and Trim Bougainvillea for Maximum Bloom
Here’s how I prune and trim my bougainvillea for maximum bloom.
My Bougainvillea glabra is a flowering machine. It puts out a big show of magenta/purplish color off and on for 9 or 10 months out of the year. This bougainvillea grows up and over my garage which sits at the end of a long, narrow driveway. It gets a major “WOW” from anyone who sees it.
The pruning that I do in January is the big one that sets the shape that my bougainvillea will be for the rest of the year. I usually prune it all in 1 fell swoop, which takes about 5 hours.
But this year I didn’t start the pruning until the end of February, and because I was doing it in dribbles, I just finished it up this past weekend. By the time I finished the pruning, it was already flowering away like crazy!
Here’s how I prune my bougainvillea for maximum bloom:
The video is full of info but here’s a break down of what I do:
How to Prune and Trim Bougainvillea
First of all, I make sure my pruners are clean & sharp. For this job, I’ll use my Felco #2‘s, Fiskars Floral Snips & my Corona Long Reach Loppers. Oh, I use a 6′ step ladder too.
Thin out the plant by removing whole branches right back to the main trunk. When it’s semi-deciduous in January, it may seem like you’re removing a lot, but believe me, it grows back like crazy. I prune a lot away from the outside of the plant so I can get to the inside.
Remove half of the undergrowth which has gotten shaded & “wimpy”.
Remove the water shoots. These do nothing for the plant at all.
Shape it to how I want it to look. It goes up 1 side of the garage & then all the way across. I took an old metal trellis which was on the back of the house & had it attached to the middle of the garage just above the overhead door. Bougainvillea does not attach itself (unlike jasmine, trumpet vine, morning glory, etc) so I had to train & attach it.
Most of the branches that remain I take back by a half or tip prune, depending on their length. This is what brings the denseness of color to my bougie. You see, bougainvilleas bloom on new growth so the more you tip them, the more color you’ll get. Tip pruning, in case you don’t know, is the removal of the soft new growth by 1-6″. You can even do this with your fingernails if it’s easier.
I’ll do four additional lighter prunings throughout the warm season, ending in early December. My bougainvillea is a riot of color and yours can be too. Just remember, tip pruning (you’ll see the technique in the video) is one of the keys to this dense show of flowers. It’s my own floral fiesta!
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
- Things You Need To Know About Bougainvillea Plant Care
- Bougainvillea Pruning Tips: Everything You Need To Know
- Bougainvillea Winter Care Tips
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
Is it best to prune inthe morning or early evening or does it matter.?I live in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas
Hi Debby – I’ve pruned many Bougainvilleas at all times of the day & it doesn’t seem to matter. I avoid pruning in hot temps & strong sunshine because it’s easier on me, & most likely the plant too! Nell
Hi, I recently bought a grafted bouganvilla tree with two colors. I planted it in the ground but am not sure of the best way to care for it. Do I keep winding the new growth around the trained shape? How do you prune it? Won’t the inside of the domed shape eventually get woody and old and need to be pruned? I am new to this plant.
Thank you ,
Ann
Hi Ann – Bougainvilleas have a vigorous growth habit so you’ll need to keep on the pruning. Any plant in a standard form should be periodically thinned out on the inside. If you want it on the wilder side, you can be a little more gentle on the pruning. Just remember: bougies bloom on new growth, so you don’t want to keep it scalped. Nell
Thanks so much for this, Nell! Really helpful and easy to find on the web.
Spouse and I moved to Phoenix in October, and our house is ringed with ~2-yr-old scarlet bougies (the same color the state of AZ uses for highway plantings). I’ve disciplined them only a little so far, so I especially appreciate your tips about new growth and seasonality. We’ve had a warm, dry fall and winter so far, and they’re still pretty though a little restrained. I’m going to try letting them dry out this coming summer with the rare, deep watering you recommend.
I only wish we didn’t have to bag up the clippings and put them in our (huge) trash container — no green/composting pickup service in our area yet.
Thank you for making the world — and my yard — a more beautiful place!
Susan,
I now live in Tucson (Hi neighbor!) & have 4 bougainvilleas at my new home. I’ve done pruning & training on mine a few times.The scarlet one you have is probably Barbara Karst – it’s commonly sold here in AZ because it’s very floriferous. Thanks for visiting our site! Nell
Hi!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Love your videos too.
I’m from Toronto, Canada. I purchased an 8 yr old potted Bougainvillea in the summer and it was doing well until winter. I keep it indoors. I guess it lost lots of foliage due to lack of sun and cooler weather. There are parts of thicker/older branches that have pretty much lost its leaves. About 13-16″ of the branch is empty and the tip of it started growing back. Is there a way or will the leaves ever grow back in that area?
Another question, my B wasn’t blooming forever so I fertilised it and within a few weeks it started blooming. New growth was only about an inch or two then the branches would stop growing longer but the flowers would continue to bloom. Why wont the branch continue to grow? I’m afraid I’ll burn off the tips of the areas that ARE still growing if I fertilise it again to push for more flowers.
Would appreciate your advice!!!
Thank you!
Nancy
Hi Nancy – 3 of my 4 bougies growing outdoors here in Tucson are loosing their leaves due to the cooler weather. It’s normal. Also, they can loose their leaves when growing in pots & moved to a new location. You should see new growth emerging when the weather warms & the sun intensifies. If you’re growing it indoors year round, you certainly won’t see a lot of new growth. Bougainvilleas love sun & heat. Nell
Bless you for taking the time to instruct us!! Mine is new to me, indoor plan passed down just 5 mos. ago.
I’m following your guidelines. Thanks Kathy
Of course Kathy, my pleasure! They can be a little trickier to grow indoors so just give it as much light as possible. Here’s our bougainvillea category with more: https://www.joyusgarden.com/categories/#bougainvillea Nell