PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
Bougainvillea glabra
Nyctaginaceae FAMILY

Bougainvillea glabra

Bougainvillea glabra

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Climber
GrowthFast

A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres, it can also be grown in warm temperate to subtropical areas. It is better adapted to areas lacking a distinct dry season and flowers more or less continuously in perpetually humid conditions[1, 2]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 25°c, but can tolerate 10 - 38°c[3]. It can be killed by temperatures of -1°c or lower[3]. Plants can usually tolerate die back from a freeze, but will withhold blooms for a while[3]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 700 - 3,000mm[3]. Requires a sunny position[3]. Grows best in a moist, fertile soil[1, 4]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[3]. Plants need to remain moist while in growth, if allowed to dry out too much during this period, leaf drop may occur[3]. They become more drought resistant when established[3]. A fast-growing plant, easily reaching a height of 4 - 7 metres within 2 years from seed[4].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 30 - 50 days[4]. Pot up the seedbed sown seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle, being careful to give the least amount of disturbance to the roots as possible and plant out when they are 30cm or more tall. Cuttings - they can be placed directly into their permanent position so long as it is not too exposed or excessively sunny and arid[1]. Air layering. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Bougainvillea+glabra>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  3. [3]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  4. [4]Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2002 · ISBN 85-86714-17-8 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
  5. [5]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
  6. [6]Ethnobotanical Uses of Biofencing Plants in Himachel Pradesh, Northwest Himalaya — Pankaj Sharma & Usha Devi · 2013 · ISBN 1028-8880 ↩︎A brief look at 61 species of plants used in hedging in northwest Himalayas nd their other uses