Bring vibrant Mediterranean charm to the garden with Bougainvillea Fuchsia, a spectacular, sun-loving climber that produces masses of vivid fuchsia-pink, papery bracts. In Cape Town, it can produce its main flowering displays from spring through summer, often continuing into autumn when conditions remain warm and sunny. The true flowers are tiny and creamy-white, surrounded by the brilliant fuchsia bracts that create the plant’s unforgettable colour display. Perfect for covering walls, fences and pergolas, Bougainvillea can also be trained as a feature shrub, clipped into a hedge or grown in containers. Give it full sun, warmth and excellent drainage for the best flowering, and avoid excessive watering, as established plants have relatively low water needs. Its thorny stems can also make it useful as a colourful screening or security planting.
Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, as plenty of direct sunlight encourages the best flowering. Water regularly while establishing, then water deeply but less frequently allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Prune lightly after a flowering flush to maintain shape and encourage fresh growth. More substantial shaping is best done in late winter or early spring before vigorous new growth begins.
Those spectacular fuchsia “flowers” aren’t actually flowers at all! They are papery modified leaves called bracts, which surround the plant’s tiny, inconspicuous true flowers. It’s these brilliantly coloured bracts that give Bougainvillea its famous, almost tropical-looking display.
| Botanical Name | Bougainvillea hybrid |
| Growth Expectancy | 3-4m H x 2-3m W |
| Position | Sun |
| Water Smart | Yes (once established) |
| Indigenous | No |
