Plants
Paperflower care: light, water & problems
Scientific name: Bougainvillea glabra · Common name: Paperflower
Thorny climbing shrub, famous for its brightly coloured bracts (magenta, red, purple) surrounding tiny white flowers.
Editorial revision:
Care at a glance
- Light
- Full direct sun. It is an outdoor plant that needs hours of intense sunlight to flower profusely.
- Watering
- Drought-tolerant once established. Water sparingly; it prefers to be kept on the drier side rather than waterlogged.
How to identify it
Thorny climbing shrub, famous for its brightly coloured bracts (magenta, red, purple) surrounding tiny white flowers.
Light
Full direct sun. It is an outdoor plant that needs hours of intense sunlight to flower profusely.
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established. Water sparingly; it prefers to be kept on the drier side rather than waterlogged.
Conditions vary with pot, season and location. Always check the mix and your plant's response.
Environment and placement
Sensitive to hard frosts. In cold climates, grow it in a pot to bring indoors over winter.
Potting mix and feeding
Use a draining mix that retains some moisture, matched to pot size and the drying rate in your home.
During active growth, follow a suitable feed label. First check light, water and roots if the plant is declining.
Problems to check
If it grows lush green foliage but no colour, it is usually getting too much water, too much nitrogen or too little sun.
How to assess yellow leavesCommon question
Why is my bougainvillea not flowering?
The most common reason is insufficient direct sun or overwatering. Slight drought stress actually encourages blooming.
