Florida tree care experts highlight a lovely addition to any garden, the bougainvillea.
The Bougainvillea Tree Is Great for Florida Yards
Everyone wants their yard to be unique and beautiful. Unfortunately, it can often be hard to choose what to put in your garden when so many options are available. One vine/shrub/tree that may fit the bill is the bougainvillea.
What’s So Special About the Bougainvillea?
Bougainvilleas make great anchor trees for gardens partially due to their year round blooming. They have small white blooms, but these are surrounded by leaves called bracts that bring the ostentation that most people associate with this particular plant. They range in color from red and orange to pink, purple, and white.
This shrub can be trained into a tree shape(called bougainvillea standard), and it is easier for a homeowner to purchase one that has been somewhat trained toward the shape rather than buying the bush. This is due to the large thorns that the plant has that make it difficult to trim or prune without injury. Heavy gloves should be used when tree pruning or tree trimming.
Plant Health Care: Caring For Your Bougainvillea
If you decide to purchase a bougainvillea to plan, know that you have certainly purchased a versatile and lovely plant. It does, however, do best with certain care.
Tips for caring for these plants are listed below.
- Sun: In order to continually bloom as they should, bougainvillea trees need full sun. They do not do well under shady conditions.
- Soil: They require well-drained soils, and are tolerant of sand and salt content.
- Water: Though the Bougainvillea is a fairly drought tolerant plant, it does need to be watered regularly. Allow the soil to dry between waterings
- Fertilizer: Use a bloom boosting fertilizer to get the most out of your tree.
- Pruning: Cut back the bougainvillea after each blooming cycle to ensure more blooms. They can take a pretty severe pruning.
- Colder Weather: It is a fairly cold hardy plant and may lose some foliage during particularly harsh weather, but will likely easily recover.
Uses for a Bougainvillea in Landscaping
Because these trees can be trimmed back or let grow indefinitely in their vine form, they are highly versatile for landscaping. They are usually kept between 4 and 6 feet tall and can be planted as close together as 3 feet. They also do well in a large pot.
Some placement ideas for a bougainvillea include:
- Anchor plant in a flowerbed
- Corner of the house
- A row near a fence line
- Potted near an entryway (Remember the thorns, so place in an area of low foot traffic.)
If you are looking for landscaping ideas, it would be a good time to consult a local tree service company with an ISA certified arborist who can help you find plants to fit your wants and needs. They can even do some of the tree health care for you, including soil testing, fertilizing and tree pruning or trimming.
About Any Town Tree
Any Town Tree offers tree removal and arboricultural services in Naples, FL and the surrounding areas with high end equipment and free competitive estimates. Call today for more information.