Now, with the development of more compact types so easily grown in small containers, bougainvilleas can be enjoyed even in climates with cold winters as they can be moved into a house or a greenhouse before the first freeze. Plenty of bright sun is a must for sturdy growth and good bloom with a minimum temperature of about 60 degrees during the growing and blooming season, though they are hardy in zone 10 and often in zone 9 in a protected location. Any good potting soil will do but good drainage is a must as bougainvilleas need to be kept on the dry side. In fact, a friend and bougainvillea expert in Madras, India, developed a method of inducing bloom by gradually withholding water just to the point of shock, even taking the plant out of the pot and removing some of the soil around the rootball. After a day or two he would replant and gradually increase the amount of water.
Bougainvilleas also respond well to a moderate pruning early in the spring.
Very floriferous and blooms at an early age. A traditional favorite. Bougainvillea 'Double Orange' - Another of the unique doubles, this time with soft orange bracts that may take on a pinkish hue in very hot weather. Free-flowering and bushy. An especially pretty double-flowered variety with pure pink bracts.