Taking care of a Bougainvillea plant in the desert?

Question

my neighbor was moving and she gave me a bougainvillea that didn't have that much leaves.

i have been watering it every day and new leafs have grown and i have been keeping it indoors and only taking it out a hour for sun

but i have been reading that they need a lot of sunshine(about 5 hrs) to bloom flowers .

but i live in arizona here it is a desert, it is very hot(like 110 'F)

and i worry that if i leave it outside 5 hours that it will die because of the excessive heat in arizona.

i am not a plant expert . so i will really appreciate all of the advice.

thank you

Answer 1

I live in AZ too!

Bougainvillea are Very easy to grow..water them once a day..

and they dont die of the heat..they seem to Love it..

Answer 2

I have lots of bougainvillea and live in the low desert like you. Mine are planted in direct sunlight.The heat does not bother the bougainvillea, though if yours is still in a pot, wait until September to plant it in the dirt. If it is getting only an hour of sun a day, cut back on you watering. To much water will kill it faster than to much. One good soaking a week should be plenty.Don't put the potted plant out in the heat of the day, it will cook the roots. You are doing fine by your plant for right now, once the heat is over, plant you bougainvillea in the dirt, water once a week. If you chose to keep it in a pot, transplant it to a large clay pot. It will help the roots breath and in the summer help keep it cool. One last thing. Do NOT give your bougainvillea iron supplement. It will kill them. If the leaves on your plant are pale or yellow, that means it is getting to much water, and not enough sun. Don't give it iron.

Answer 3

bougainvilleas can tollerate the heat IF ....

it is in mostly shade.



plant is completly out of full sun

given water every 3 days, give it water every day temps go above 110-115.

winters have little or no frost and no freezes then plant it in the ground. the ground will keep it cooler than a pot and will also retain a bit more water

you give plant food.

in the winter a frost occurs and you cover it.

you prune it back in the spring to promote new leaves and flowers