About
Bougainvillea spectabilis 'Margaret Bacon' is a soft-stemmed, woody shrub that can reach heights of up to 5 meters. It features thorny branches and soft, light green ovate foliage, remaining evergreen in warmer environments. During the summer months, it produces clusters of vibrant pink bracts that encircle small, tubular white flowers.
About the genus
Bougainvillea consists of climbing evergreen shrubs that may have thorns. They feature simple, oval-shaped leaves and bear clusters of small tubular flowers, each surrounded by three vibrant, oval bracts.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Climber Wall Shrub
- Habit
- Climbing
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 4-8 metres
- Spread
- 4-8 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow outdoors in frost-free areas, or indoors in a peat-free, loam-based potting compost in full light. May lose leaves if temperatures fall below 8°C (46°F), but this should not affect the following season's growth as long as the plant is protected from frost and freezing temperatures. Water regularly and feed monthly from spring to autumn. See bougainvillea cultivation
- Pruning
- Pruning group 12 (after flowering)
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings in spring, or semi-hardwood cuttings in summer, or by layering in early autumn or spring
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to red spider mites, mealybugs, aphids and whitefly
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free