Bougainvillea Bonsai
Bougainvillea glabra / Bougainvillea spectabilis
📖 About this plant
A spectacular flowering bonsai producing brilliant bracts in vibrant shades of pink, purple, red, orange, and white. The true flowers are tiny and white, surrounded by the colorful papery bracts. Bougainvillea thrives in full sun and warmth, blooming prolifically from spring through fall. Its thorny branches create dramatic, twisted trunks ideal for bonsai.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (8+ hrs)
Every 1-2 weeks
Low to moderate (30-50%)
18-35°C
Well-draining bonsai soil mix; slightly gritty with added perlite; pH 5.5-6.5
Low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer every 2 weeks during growing season to promote flowering; reduce nitrogen further in fall
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- South America, Brazil, Peru
- 📏 Max height
- 15-45 cm (bonsai form)
- 📐 Spread
- 20-45 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pink, Purple, Red, Orange
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mildly toxic — sap may cause skin irritation and dermatitis in sensitive individuals; thorns can cause minor injury
- 🌱 Propagation
- Hardwood cuttings in spring; semi-hardwood cuttings in summer; grows quickly from cuttings
🛡️ Health & Safety
Mildly toxic — sap may cause skin irritation and dermatitis in sensitive individuals; thorns can cause minor injury
Common issues
- Leaf drop from cold drafts or overwatering, Lack of flowering from too much nitrogen or insufficient light, Scale insects and mealybugs, Root rot in poorly draining soil
💡 Care tips
- Spectacular bursts of colorful bracts in purple red or orange,Thorny branches so wear gloves when pruning and wiring,Requires full sun for the best and most prolific flowering,Drought-tolerant but blooms best with consistent watering in summer
