Buy and care for bougainvillea

Flowers from South America: the bougainvillea. The colorful ornamental plant is demanding - it loves the sun, light and warmth. Even a cold and wet summer could quickly end the life of this magnificent plant.

Beautiful and sensitive - the bougainvillea

The bougainvillea owes its name to a French: Louise Antoine de Bougainville, a French Writer, officer and navigator, who lived from 1729 to 1811, discovered the beautiful exotic Plant.

• Now that you know that the bougainvillea comes from South America, you will understand that it is a very "sun-hungry" plant that needs warmth. In Europe, the plant only really feels at home in the south. In the colder regions, the permanent bloomer is only allowed to stand outside in the warm seasons - cold and frost make the bougainvillea die quickly. So before you set out to buy a bougainvillea, you should think about where you want to "house" the plant.
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• If the summer is raining, it is essential to protect the plant from too much moisture. The pampered plant cannot tolerate waterlogging, even for a short period of time. Your bougainvillea would quickly lose its leaves and then die. Also make sure that the location of your bougainvillea is sheltered from the wind. The "weather-sensitive" exotic probably feels most comfortable in your winter garden.

This is how you care for - and buy - the beautiful exotic

Standard trunk, climbing plant or shrub? You have the choice. But always keep in mind that the bougainvillea has to overwinter indoors. The plant, which transforms entire house walls into colorful seas of flowers in its country of origin and also in southern Europe, has to be kept in pots here.

• Make sure that your bougainvillea is "mobile", because when the temperature drops, the colorful plant has to move into the house or the winter garden. The plant needs light and warmth, only at temperatures above 15 ° C does the exotic feel really good. If your bougainvillea is in the best possible position, the plant - depending on the species - will surprise you with a splendid winter bloom.
• Some species bloom all year long at temperatures around 20 ° C. The purple bougainvillea, on the other hand, "pauses" in winter; this species also needs light to overwinter, but does not have to be too bright. It can withstand temperatures of 5 ° C to 10 ° C. Before overwintering, you have to cut the bougainvillea back to around half. From the end of October the plant must no longer be fertilized until the next spring.
• A hibernating bougainvillea needs little water. Water carefully so as not to drown the plant. It is enough if the soil is kept moist. If the demanding exotic feels at home in its winter quarters, then you can count on the first fresh shoots as early as February. If possible, you should now place the plant in as bright and warm a place as possible.
• The bougainvillea likes fresh soil: Pamper the plant - at least every two years - with fresh potting soil. They will thank you. Make absolutely sure that you do not damage the balls of the sensitive bougainvillea when repotting. You should fertilize with a special liquid fertilizer. When buying your plants, find out which one fertilizer is best suited for the type you have chosen.

You can buy the plants in your garden center or you can order them Bougainvillea on the Internet. The advantage of buying from a garden center is that you can see the plants and get advice.