Bougainvillea is one showy plant and is beloved for its show of colorful bracts. This details planting bougainvillea in pots, including the best soil mix, steps to take, aftercare, and a key thing to know.
Driving through Phoenix, I had to stop at a few nurseries before heading home to Tucson. Not a necessity but highly desired! I always visit Berridge’s and found just the one I wanted for the small space patio right off my kitchen.
Bougainvillea is quite a popular topic on this blog. I’ve done multiple posts and videos on all aspects of growing it. Or so I thought! Many of you are curious about bougainvilleas in containers, and how to plant them is a good place to start.
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Table of Contents
Planting Bougainvillea in Pots
Bougainvillea for Pots
Type of Pot
Bougainvillea Pot Size
How to Plant Bougainvillea in Pots
The Key Thing to Know When Planting Bougainvillea in Pots
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Planting Bougainvillea in Pots
Five large Bougainvilleas growing in large blue pots at a shopping center, plants have lovely pink blooms.
A row of potted bougainvillea in large ceramic urns at La Encantada. The large canopy of these mature plants shades out the lower growth giving them a lovely vine-like look.
Bougainvillea for Pots
Before you even think about growing this floriferous plant, ensure the spot it’s going in gets at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Anything less and the bloom will be mediocre or non-existent. Bougainvilleas also love the heat.
Most bougainvilleas grow to be over 15′ tall. A large bougainvillea needs a large pot. Just know that the taller bigger your bougie gets, the larger the pot size it’ll need.
There are very few dwarf bougainvilleas, but there are ones you can easily keep under 5′ with regular pruning. Here are some of the lower-growing bougainvillea varieties:
B. Blueberry Ice is well suited to growing in pots and as a ground cover. Not many bougainvilleas have variegated foliage, so this and the size had me at hello. It grows 2-3′ tall by 5-6′ wide, making it an excellent container plant for a small garden.
Raspberry Ice is similar to the above but has raspberry pink flowers.
Oo-La-La has magenta red flowers and grows to 2′ x 6′.
Golden Jackpot has purple flowers with jazzy chartreuse foliage. It grows to 5′ x 8′.
Rosenka has pink/salmon flowers and grows to 2′ x 4′.
Bambino has red-purple flowers and grows to 4′ x 4′.
Torch Glow has reddish pink flowers and grows to 2′ x 7′.
Helen Johnson has magenta pink flowers and grows to 3′ x 3′.
Monrovia grows lots of bougainvillea plants. They now make online sales, so check their website for more details.
Type of Pot
I’ve seen bougainvilleas growing in all types of pots. The pot I’m using here measures 16″ wide by 22″ tall, so my beautiful bougie has plenty of room to grow. I bought the pot at Lowe’s but couldn’t find it for sale online. You might be able to find it in one of your local stores. I love plastic and resin pots because they’re much lighter and easier to move around.
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It was brown, and I painted it blue/purple. My spray paint of choice is Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover. It covers so well and can be used on many materials. I used a base of Gloss Deep Blue (2 coats) and did Grape Gloss and Gloss Purple accents. I let each coat dry and, for the final step, spray on two coats of the Semi-Gloss Clear to seal and protect.
Clay, terra cotta, and ceramic pots are fine for bougainvilleas. Just ensure the pot is large enough to give the roots plenty of room to grow.
Whatever pot you use, make sure it has drainage holes on the bottom so the excess water can flow out. This will help to prevent root rot.
Bougainvillea Pot Size
The type of bougainvillea and the size grow pot it’s in will determine the size of the decorative pot you’ll need. My Blueberry Ice Bougainvillea grows to 3′ tall x 5′ wide. I used a pot that was 16″ wide x 22″ tall.
Large bougainvilleas need large pots. Some bougainvilleas grow to be 20’+ high, so they’ll need a good-sized pot to house the root ball.
Bougainvilleas are tough plants but have a sensitive root system. They don’t like to be transplanted, so I ensure the pot it’s in will accommodate the plant for years.
Looking to master the art of growing bougainvillea? We’ve got you covered! Explore our Bougainvillea Tutorial package, complete with videos and PDFs, plus our concise ebook, Growing Bougainvillea Successfully. These resources offer everything you need to cultivate stunning, vibrant plants with ease.
When to Plant Bougainvillea
The growing season is the best time. Bougainvillea loves sun and heat, so do it during the warmer months. Depending on your climate zone, early spring, late spring, summer, or early fall are the best times.
It’s best to avoid planting in the intense summer heat in Tucson. I do it in spring or fall. In Santa Barbara, where I used to live, late winter through fall is fine.
A tall brown pot sits outside on a purple table a grey kitty is sniffing the pot.
This pot was basic brown (like many other plastic pots) when I bought it. Not my favorite color, so a round of spray painting was in order. And, of course, Riley Cat has to check it out!
A tall blue vase type pot sits in a driveway.
After the spraying, I must say I like it so much better. It fits in so well with my blue vintage patio set on the kitchen patio.
Best Soil for Bougainvillea in Pots
The potting mix needs to be rich with excellent drainage. You want your bougainvillea to take the moisture it needs and drain all excess.
The blend is 3/4 good quality potting soil with 1/4 compost and DIY succulent & cactus mix. I also added a few handfuls of chunky pumice in the top 1/3 of the planter for more drainage.
For this, I used the following:
Ocean Forest potting soil. I’m partial to Ocean Forest because of its high-quality ingredients. It’s a soilless mix enriched with lots of good stuff but drains well.
Tank’s (a local company) compost.
DIY succulent & cactus mix. Optional, but I feel it up the ante on the drainage factor. I make my own, but you can find three choices in our Amazon shop.
Pumice. Again, optional. My pot is so deep this ensures good drainage and aeration.
Worm compost. One of my favorite amendments.
Looking down inside a blue pot almost filled with potting soil mix.
A close look at the well-draining mix.
How to Plant Bougainvillea in Pots
We all love that explosion of bougainvillea flowers, so it’s key to get the planting done properly.
It’s best to watch the video down below for this. I’ll give you a shortened pictorial step-by-step here.
This is all about Bougainvillea Care In Pots, including growing tips and things to consider to keep yours healthy and flowering away.
A green and white variegated bougainvillea with lavender flowers sits next to a tall blue urn pot on a table.
The Blueberry Ice Bougainvillea & its pot on my potting table are all ready for planting. I watered the bougie thoroughly in that morning. You never want to plant a stressed plant, ie, one that is bone dry. The plant was full & lush all the way around when I bought it, but the pack rats chewed off half the branches on one side. They’ll eat anything!
A green grow pot with monrovia on it has been cut down and slit.
See “The key thing to know” below regarding the grow pot cut down. I made five slits on the sides & slits coming out of each drain hole on the bottom so the roots could grow out.
Looking down at a bougainvillea in a grow pot which sits inside a tall blue pot.
The plant in its decorative pot. Because the pot is so deep & this bougainvillea doesn’t have an extensive root system, I put a layer of plastic bottles in the bottom as fill. The top of the grow pot is about 1/2″ below the top of the decorative pot, so I have room to top it with soil & worm compost.
A green and white variegated bougainvillea with lavender flowers is planted in a tall blue pot.
All topped off with potting soil. I used the blend in the bottom 2/3 of the pot & mainly potting soil & pumice in the top 1/3. I thoroughly watered the plant after the planting was done. The following morning I applied a 1/2″ layer of worm compost after the soil had settled in a bit. It’s mid-October when I’m doing this, so I’ll wait until spring to apply a good layer of compost on the top.
The Key Thing to Know When Planting Bougainvillea in Pots
Bougainvilleas can take full sun and heat without skipping a beat. However, they’re big babies when it comes to the root ball. Bougainvillea has sensitive roots and doesn’t like to have them messed with.
For best results, leave your bougainvillea in the grow pot when planting it. Put a few slits in the side and bottom of the pot, being careful not to slash too deeply into the rootball. I discovered this key point from a bougainvillea grower when I first learned about planting and caring for bougainvillea.
Planting Bougainvillea in Pots Video Guide
HOW TO PLANT BOUGAINVILLEA IN POTS/JoyUsGarden
This method allows the roots to grow from the pot and protects the rootball. You want the soil level of the rootball to be even with the top of the soil you’re planting it into. This means you might have to cut the rim and some of the top of the grow pot off, as I did.
I always cut the pot’s rim off as needed because I think it looks much better with it gone. Whether you cut that off or not is up to you. It won’t hurt the plant, but I never want to see a plastic rim sticking out of a beautiful decorative pot.
Maybe you’ve taken one out of the pot, planted it, and it’s done just fine. It’s a crapshoot about whether a bougie will survive and one I’m unwilling to take.
I just wanted to share this one important thing to know when planting bougainvillea. After all, I want yours to thrive and give you a big show of bougainvillea blooms for many months!
Here we Answer The Most Popular Questions About Bougainvillea
A variegated bougainvillea grows in a tall blue pot next to red lantana.
My Blueberry Ice, an attractive dwarf variety, is in its spot on the kitchen patio. Once it grows, I’ll also see it from the dining room. It’s a paler lavender/blue now, but the tone will deepen once the temps cool.
Looking to master the art of growing bougainvillea? We’ve got you covered! Explore our Bougainvillea Tutorial package, complete with videos and PDFs, plus our concise ebook, Growing Bougainvillea Successfully. These resources offer everything you need to cultivate stunning, vibrant plants with ease.
Planting Bougainvillea in Pots FAQs
Bright magenta bougainvillea in massive bloom.
Just for the wow factor! This is the Bougainvillea glabra (growing in the ground) I trained to grow up & across my garage in Santa Barbara.
For more on Bougainvillea, check out these helpful posts: Bougainvillea Care Plus Growing Tips and Things You Need To Know About Bougainvillea Plant Care.
This Bougainvillea Blueberry Ice in its blue pot will bring more color to my kitchen patio. Bougainvilleas are one plant that can take reflected sun and heat (with regular watering) here in the Tucson desert.
It grows next to and will grow into a colorful Lantana Dallas Red, which hummingbirds and butterflies love. A wonderful addition to my container garden and outdoor space!
Note: This post was originally published on 10/19/2019. It was updated & republished on 4/24/2023.
Happy gardening,
