Bougainvilleas come from a subtropical area - so it's hardly surprising that they don't tolerate frost at all. We will show you how you can protect your colorful climbing flowering bulbs from the harmful cold and how you can look forward to a recurring abundance of flowers in spring.

Bougainvillea does not tolerate sub-zero temperatures

What the bougainvillea needs to feel good

A member of the Miracle Flower family, Bougainvillea comes from a select region along the Andes in subtropical South America. There, of course, it gets a lot of sunlight and heat. These factors are the most important so that the climbing plant with its magnificent, red to violet bracts can develop optimally. You don't need to move south to give it enough light and warmth. The following basic measures already promise successful cultivation:

  • choose a south-facing, full sun location if possible
  • mix nutrient-rich, but permeable base for the bucket
  • careful, regular watering practice
  • Make sure there is enough heat, avoid temperatures below 0°C

Bougainvillea's Achilles heel

The most impressive thing about the bougainvillea is its colorful sea of flowers - this makes it extremely decorative and a feast for the eyes. However, it is not the flowers that are responsible for the generous red, violet, sometimes orange to white color splendor, but the three flat bracts that surround the actual, inconspicuous flowers (hence the nickname "triplet flower"). As beautiful as they are, they are also sensitive. Mechanical loads such as heavy rain or hail make things difficult for them - and also frost.

Get in at 0°C at the latest

If you care about your bougainvillea, pay close attention to the weather forecast in the fall. When the first frosty nights are announced, it is high time to bring the bougainvillea into the house. If, despite your best efforts, you forget the tropical beauty on the first slightly frosty night, the stove will not necessarily go out. Most specimens survive shorter cold periods.

Don't panic if you lose leaves during the winter

You don't need to fool your bougainvillea into a tropical climate that requires a lot of energy for the winter either. A temperature window of +5 to +15°C is completely sufficient. If the plant sheds its leaves over the winter, you don't have to fear death from the cold right away. Even if you have chosen a bright overwintering location, the central to northern European winter light is not enough for the bougainvillea - in the spring, however, it will easily sprout again in its old glory.

Category:

Indoor plants