Slideshow: Beautiful bougainvilleas

A bougainvillea in full bloom is the peacock of the plant world, impossible to ignore.

Masses of papery, petal-like bracts (which surround tiny, tubular white flowers) come in vibrant shades of crimson, magenta, purple, pink, orange, yellow, and white, as well as pastels and blends.

When backlit by the sun, they glow like stained glass. From spring through fall, they appear in flushes, nearly covering deep green or variegated foliage.

In warm-climate gardens, bougainvilleas are incredibly versatile. Vining kinds, such as scarlet-red 'Barbara Karst', cover walls, form dense, billowy hedges, or conceal unwanted views.

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Steven Gunther
SMALL TREE: Train bougainvilleas as standards (small trees) in containers on terraces or patios, or as the centerpiece of floral borders. This white-flowered variety grows against a house in Pacific Palisades, California, where it drapes its veil of blooms over the front entry. Design: Mary Effron Landscape Design, Santa Monica (310/452-7152)

Golden-pink 'Rosenka' can be kept to shrub proportions if wayward shoots are pruned; it also makes a pretty, puffy groundcover on a sunny bank.

Pink-and-white 'Thai Delight', in full bloom in summer, looks as cooling as peppermint ice cream when allowed to cascade over the sides of a large olive jar of pinkish terra-cotta.

Dwarf kinds, such as the new Bambino series from Australia, are perfect for pots. For sheer drama, it's tough to beat 'Torch Glow', which forms upright, self-supporting columns covered with sizzling bracts.

All bougainvilleas combine well with other ornamentals. Pair golden-yellow 'California Gold' with a bronzy New Zealand flax or a bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae). For color harmony and texture contrast, combine a variegated-leafed plant with a yellow- and green-striped agave.

The right backdrops can help show off bougainvilleas' vivid hues to the best advantage.

A red, orange, or gold bougainvillea in front of a white wall is lovely, but against a moss green, blue, or lavender wall, it's positively eye-popping.

With all these attributes, it's no wonder that the vine practically symbolizes the warm, welcoming West. If you want to try growing one of these vibrant beauties, you can start small — a dwarf variety in a pot, for example. Or go bold and choose a larger variety for a patio focal point.

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Steven Gunther
HEDGE: Plant large varieties such as 'Barbara Karst' in multiples to create a colorful hedge. This one spills over a cobalt blue wall behind a fountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Design: Steve Martino Studio, Phoenix (602/957-6150)

Choose the right variety for the space you have. Tropical landscape consultant Greg Asbagh from Leucadia, CA (www.webjungles.com or 858/699-6110) suggests the following favorite varieties; most of the ones pictured in the slideshow are available at Tropic World Nursery (26437 N. Centre City Pkwy., Escondido, CA; 760/746-6108).

Large vines (20 to 30 feet tall)
• 'Barbara Karst'
• Bougainvillea spectabilis (purple)
• 'Mary Palmer's Enchantment'
• 'Orange King'
• 'San Diego Red'

Spreaders (3 feet tall, when kept pruned)
• 'Orange Ice'
• 'Raspberry Ice' ('Hawaii')
• 'Vicki' (white and lavender)

Shrub (3 to 8 feet tall)
• 'Elizabeth Angus' (violet-lavender)
• 'Rosenka'
• 'Torch Glow' ('Bangkok Red')

Dwarf (1½ to 4 feet tall)
• Bambino series: 'Baby Alyssa' (white), 'Baby Lauren' (lavender), 'Baby Sophia'
• 'Oo-La-La' (magenta-red)

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Steven Gunther
CONTAINER: Grow dwarf varieties in containers; pictured beside a pool is variegated Bambino 'Baby Alyssa' (from Hines Horticulture).

Climate
Bougainvilleas thrive in the low and intermediate deserts (Sunset climate zones 12–13) and in warm parts of California (zones 15–17, 19, and 21–24).

Site
Choose a full-sun location in a warm part of your garden (such as against a south-facing wall). Give white and yellow varieties light shade in hottest climates.

Planting
Plant in fast-draining soil in late spring after danger of frost has passed. Bougainvillea roots do not knit together to form a firm rootball, and they are highly sensitive to disturbance. To minimize shock when planting, cut off the container bottom, then set the plant — still in its nursery pot — into the planting hole. Slide the container up over the plant, filling in the planting hole with soil as you go. Once the pot is above the rootball, you can cut it along one side to split the pot and remove it without disturbing foliage.

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Steven Gunther
MIXED TAPESTRY: Plant two or three kinds together so they intermingle. Try red and purple; or yellow, white, and orange. Above, 'San Diego Red' climbs a wall with a purple variety in La Jolla, California. Design: Alan and Cindy Rosenthal

Water
Keep soil moist but not soggy. Once established, larger varieties growing in the ground need little irrigation except during the hottest months.

Fertilizer
Feed container plants a balanced liquid fertilizer according to label instructions. In-ground plants need little or no fertilizer; excess nitrogen tends to produce lush foliage and fewer bracts.

Pruning
Pinch or cut back in spring and as needed to control and direct growth. (Leave cold-nipped foliage on the plant until frost danger has passed.) Prune dwarf varieties lightly; large, vigorous vines severely.

Repotting
Container-grown bougainvilleas perform best when rootbound. When repotting, keep rootball intact, place in a container one size larger, then fill in with soil.