Why won't my bougainvillea bloom? Or did it?
 

We just got back to our house. It has been a while.

The bougainvillea I planted last spring is big and GREEN with a few spindly blooms at the ends of a few of the branches.

It has not been over fertilized, last time was last spring.

I know that bougainvillea should be allowed to dry out between watering. But the irrigation system can't decide for just one plant. Or has it rained a lot?

Yesterday, we took a ride to see what's new since we left. Some of the houses had plants that were absolutely spectacular, bright, hot pink, and covered with blooms. But I could not tell what they were. They were not on a trellis, but I think they might have been bougainvillea pruned into a topiary type thing maybe. Not sure. Does anyone know, for sure, what those plants are?

Does anybody know happened to my bougainvillea?

Mine is blooming but we moved it 3 times in 4 years until we finally found a spot where it blooms. We used to get plenty of green and growth but no blooms until we moved it to the northeast side of house protected by a big holly on the corner of the house. Near a plumbago and hibiscus on east side it would not bloom. I'm a hit and miss gardener only.

Mine finally bloomed after the first cold snap. Maybe it was too hot this summer? I don't know. Both seem to be flourishing now, for whatever reason. Finally blooming and throwing new shoots out sideways, not just full. I do fertilize them, and considered moving them, but I didn't. A friend said they needed sun, which they do get where they are. I noticed they did finally start up when they heat calmed down, as I said. BUT...I had them in SW Florida and had to have them cut back they were so big, so who knows? Give them some time, and Miracle Grow, I guess. Maybe the roots need to be fully established before they can throw some color.

I had the same problem. I moved it so that it got more sun and now it is blooming great guns.

Thank you to all,

It's out there right now in glorious sunshine.

We have one of those houses where when you walk in the front door, you see straight through to the back........

So not only is my bratty bougainvillea in sunshine, it also got a spot of honor because I was envisioning beautiful blooms practically in the living room. (sigh)

My trusty old hibiscus greeted me warmly though.......Well, some of them did......... But I had put in two other hibiscus that were the bright yellow variety that was not as easy to find as other colors. Those two are in a pout that might cause them to face the shovel if they don't get with the program soon.

Should that bougainvillea be in bloom now? I am wondering if maybe I missed it because we could not get away to get back here.

NOT THE SHOVEL!!!! I would suggest that you ask a neighbor to water your plants for you. Perhaps a few waterings in your absence will help out. Maybe I should start a club.....or business.... 'Water Your Sprouts'. Hmmmmm

ours flowers amazingly.. once trimmed, the new growth is what blooms.How I Prune & Trim My Bougainvillea For Maximum Bloom - |

From my experience bougainvillea enjoys stress. The reason most of your bougainvillea is reacting to sunshine is because it doesn't enjoy a lot of water and the sun will help with drying it out. Usually when green with no blooms it's a sign of excess water. I once heard a story from one of our nursery vendors that you should plant bougainvillea with half of the pot still attached to stress it out. Don't think I'll try that one though.

Also yellow hibiscus are hard to find because they seem to be more disease prone

Knowing that it blooms on new growth lets me know I can have at it with the pruners. I will do that soon. I keep saying "blooms" but I think bougainvillea has bracts like pointsettias have for the color. (But I might have no idea what I am talking about because I am not even sure what a bract is. I just want that spectacular color.)

I do kind of get that thing about leaving it partially in the pot -- probably cutting the bottom out and part way up. It might think it is rootbound and then would panic and try to earn its keep. I would try that if I were putting in a new one. It would be interesting to see what would happen.

Maybe someday, some way, I will have the bougainvillea of my dreams. Or not. (sigh)

And, now I know the explanation for the yellow hibiscus issues. No more yellow ones for me.

Thank you, everybody.

Our bougainvillea was severely hacked at, cut down, and moved a year ago when we re-configured our landscaping. For the longest time, I wondered if it would survive. It is happy and blooming great guns, but I did add some fertilizer to it.

About how long is the bloom period for this area?

Thanks.

Bougainvillea
 

Such a wealth of good information.

Bougainvillea - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

It's blooming now and has been for several weeks. I fertilized it in October. It's in a spot where it gets lots of sun and is trimmed/shaped each time the yard guy does the rest of our bushes, so when it recovers from that it blooms again. I feel like it blooms about every three months.

Today is the day! I am going out there with my pruners and I will be ruthless!

Thank you for all the good information on personal experience locally with bougainvillea and also for providing links I had not found.

That University of Florida link says late winter is a good time of year to prune bougainvillea -- or early spring.

Many years ago, a gardening friend told me that if I want easy care plants I should pay attention to what is planted in commercial landscaping, like malls, etc. because those plants have to be tough.

Well, you know those purple flowers planted at Colony -- I noticed those flowers seemed to not need much attention so........

Last spring, I finally got around to finding out what they are. I bought some, planted them as kind of an edging in the bed where the bougainvillea resides on its trellis, and now......

:) Thank you, my purple lantana, for behaving so nicely and looking so happy, blooming away, and needing only a little shearing, and for not seeming to care if I am here or not.

And now, I better put this iPad away and go get the pruners and have at that big, boring green thing on the trellis out there.