Sundown Orange Bougainvillea Tree

The Sundown Orange Bougainvillea (BOUGAINVILLEA 'Sundown Orange') is a beautifully decorative vine that can be grown in many forms. It can be staked and formed like the trunk of a tree, trellised for a climbing look or even utilized as a hanging basket plant! The vine is meant for warmer USDA zones such as 9-11 if being planted outside but can be potted and brought inside or patio kept for colder zones 4-11. The fast growing, full sun loving, non-invasive vine will fully mature to heights/widths of 20-30 feet so make sure there is ample space and something the vine can climb on. The beautiful color comes in three stages on the vine. The blooms are delicate white with an intense surrounding color on the “bracts.” The papery, petal-like leaves will begin as hot orange and transition to bright coral and then fade into a salmon pink color.

Planting Directions (in ground): Bougainvilleas do best in a full sun location. Try and find somewhere that will offer at least 6 hours of direct sun every day. Ensure your drainage is good, plants do not care to be in areas where water may collect for prolonged periods. Bougainvilleas like to climb as they are a vine so make sure it has something like a fence or trellis to grow properly. If growing as a hedge, space them 18-20 inches apart.

1) Make your hole 2-3 times the width and just as deep as the root system.
2) Bougainvilleas like a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.0 for the best results. An inexpensive soil testing kit can easily help you determine the pH range of your soil.
3) Carefully remove the vine from its container and lightly comb the roots with your hands to help free up some of the roots.
4) Position the plant and then begin back filling the hole with a 60/40 ratio of your native soil to gardening soil. Tamp down lightly as you fill to prevent any air pockets from forming.
5) Water the planting site when finished to settle the soil then broadcast mulch around the base to maintain soil moisture and keep competing growth such as grass or weeds away.
*Tip: Limestone can assist with increasing the pH range of your soil whereas sulfur will help lower it.

Planting Directions (potted):
1) Select a pot that is 1-2 sizes larger than the container the plant arrived in with ample drainage holes on the bottom.
2) Choose a potting soil mix with the correct pH level for the best success (5.5 to 6.0)
3) Add a little soil to the bottom of the container first so once the tree has been completely potted, there will be at least a one inch gap from the lid of the pot. This makes for easy watering without any mess.
4) Tamp down the soil around the rootball as you fill to ensure no air pockets have formed.
5) Water to settle the soil completely and place it in an area that will receive full sun (6+ hours every day).

Watering: Water the bougainvillea as needed. The best thing is a consistently moistened soil but NOT overly saturated. Too much water can weaken the vine and cause excess leaf growth in place of the decorative color you’d expect.

For a potted bougainvillea, use your index finger to determine if more water is needed. Stick it into the soil down to a depth of 2 inches and feel around. If there is still moisture present, leave it be a bit longer. If it has dried out, water until you see it escaping the drainage holes and stop.

Pruning: Your bougainvillea will respond to pruning greatly when done properly. Pruning is typically done in the late fall or early winter season. Some light trimming will keep the vine trained to a certain visual habit. Trimming removes smaller materials and gives the form a certain silhouette as well as maintain the shape. Hedge planted bougainvilleas will require some extensive pruning unless they have been properly trained along a trellis or other vertical support systems. You can remove dead wood/branches as they appear. Pruning the tips of the wood just after a bud node encourages the formation of new branches to form at the pruning junction.

Potted vines should have their tips pinched off monthly during their active growing season to encourage more branching of the vine. Pruning should be done after winter with sterilized clippers. Rubbing alcohol works perfectly for sterilization.

Fertilizing: During the blooming season your bougainvillea will respond well to monthly applications of fertilizer. The best results have been from 6-8-10 formulas which still allow enough nitrogen for healthy growth but also a boost of phosphorous to encourage good blooming. Discontinue fertilizing as summer comes to an end. Potted bougainvilleas do better with a balanced 20-20-20 water soluble formula applied every two weeks at half the strength recommended on the packaging.