How to Grow Bougainvillea on a Trellis
Bougainvillea is a tropical woody vine that bears colorful, paper-like flowers. The key to success in growing bougainvillea is to grow it in full sun, all day, and keep the soil on the dry side. Bougainvillea thrives in the heat and is restricted to outdoor growing only in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 10 and 11. It takes well to training on a trellis while it is young. Bougainvillea has huge thorns, so wear heavy gloves when working with it.
Plant the bougainvillea 6 inches in front of the trellis' left post.
Use soft plant ties to tie the vine to the trellis every 12 inches. Tie the vine loosely.
Add more ties for each 12 inches the plant grows. In maturity, it will stand on its own and will not require tying.
Train the bougainvillea to go down the trellis when it reaches the top and then back up again when it reaches the bottom.
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References
- University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service; Bougainvillea - A Robust and Spectacular Climbing Vine; Gene McAvoy
- BNet/Sunset; Harnessing Bougainvillea; Lauren Bonar Swezey; 1994
- "California Home Landscaping"; Roger Holmes and Lance Walheim; 2010
Writer Bio
Based in the American Southwest, Bridget Kelly has been writing about gardening and real estate since 2005. Her articles have appeared at Trulia.com, SFGate.com, GardenGuides.com, RE/MAX.com, MarketLeader.com, RealEstate.com, USAToday.com and in "Chicago Agent" magazine, to name a few. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing.
