Red Bougainvillea ‘Temple Fire’ Live Plant – 6 Inch Pot – Bronze-Red Flowers – Outdoor Shrub

Overview

Introduce a burst of tropical brilliance to your garden with the Red Bougainvillea live plant ‘Temple Fire’. This magnificent flowering shrub, scientifically known as Bougainvillea glabra ‘Temple Fire’, is celebrated for its stunning, papery bracts that display a rich bronze-red hue, resembling an ongoing fiery spectacle. Native to South America, Bougainvillea has become a beloved ornamental plant in warmer climates worldwide due to its spectacular and long-lasting floral displays. The ‘Temple Fire’ variety is particularly prized for its intense color and vigorous growth habit, making it an excellent choice for creating dramatic focal points or vibrant borders. As a drought tolerant plant, it’s an ideal addition for gardeners seeking beauty with resilience. This live plant arrives ready to thrive, eager to transform your outdoor space into a colorful paradise.

The Red Bougainvillea live plant ‘Temple Fire’ is not only visually striking but also relatively easy to care for once established. Its woody vines can be trained to climb trellises, cascade over walls, or be pruned into a beautiful shrub or standard. The plant’s true flowers are small and white, almost hidden by the larger, brightly colored bracts that are often mistaken for petals. These vibrant red flowers bring continuous color through many months of the year, especially in frost-free regions. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting, this plant offers immense satisfaction and a truly exotic feel.

Key Benefits

The ‘Temple Fire’ Bougainvillea offers numerous advantages for any outdoor garden, combining stunning aesthetics with practical resilience:

• Spectacular Floral Display: Enjoy a prolonged period of intense bronze-red blooms that create a dramatic and eye-catching focal point in any garden setting. The Red Bougainvillea live plant is a true showstopper.
• Drought Tolerance: Once established, this plant is highly tolerant of dry conditions, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping or gardens in arid regions, reducing the need for frequent watering.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Its flexible growth habit allows it to be used as a climbing vine, a dense shrub, a colorful hedge, or even a stunning potted specimen on patios and balconies.
• Low Maintenance: Despite its exotic appearance, the ‘Temple Fire’ Bougainvillea requires minimal care once settled, primarily needing pruning to maintain shape and encourage blooming.
• Attracts Pollinators: While the true flowers are small, the vibrant bracts can still attract beneficial pollinators to your garden, contributing to a healthy ecosystem.
• Fast Growing: This vigorous plant establishes quickly, providing rapid coverage and color to your landscape design.
• Heat Loving: Thrives in hot, sunny conditions where many other plants might struggle, making it perfect for sun-drenched areas.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Bougainvillea Temple Fire is straightforward, especially when you understand its preferences. This plant thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to produce its most abundant and vibrant blooms. Inadequate light will result in fewer flowers and more foliage. Bougainvillea prefers well-draining soil and can tolerate a variety of soil types, including sandy or loamy, as long as they are not waterlogged. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot. If planting in a pot, use a high-quality potting mix with excellent drainage.

Watering should be consistent but not excessive, especially once the plant is established. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Overwatering can lead to lush foliage but fewer flowers. During active growth and blooming periods, water more frequently, but always check the soil moisture first. Bougainvillea are not heavy feeders, but a balanced fertilizer designed for flowering plants can be applied sparingly during the growing season to encourage blooming. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Pruning is essential for shaping the plant and encouraging more blooms; prune after a flowering cycle to remove spent bracts and promote new growth. Protect your outdoor flowering shrub from frost if you live in a region with cold winters, by either bringing potted plants indoors or providing winter protection for in-ground specimens.

Pest issues are generally minimal for Bougainvillea, but occasionally aphids or mealybugs might appear. These can usually be managed with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal diseases. The ‘Temple Fire’ variety is known for its hardiness, making it a reliable choice for adding vibrant red flowers to your garden. Remember that while this plant is tough, it appreciates consistent care to reach its full ornamental potential. It’s a fantastic choice for those looking for a resilient and beautiful addition to their garden.

Size & Details

Your Red Bougainvillea live plant ‘Temple Fire’ will arrive in a 6-inch nursery pot, typically standing around 1 foot tall, ready for planting. While some plants may not have flowers upon arrival, they are healthy and established, prepared to grow and bloom vigorously in their new home. This variety is known for its moderate to fast growth rate, quickly developing into a substantial presence in your garden. When mature, it can reach heights of 10-20 feet if supported as a vine, or spread 5-10 feet as a shrub, depending on pruning and growing conditions. The rich bronze-red bracts provide continuous color for months, especially in warmer climates where it can bloom almost year-round. It’s a robust and long-lived plant that will provide many years of enjoyment.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Red Bougainvillea live plant ‘Temple Fire’ can grow quite large. As a vine, it can reach 10-20 feet in height with support, or if pruned as a shrub, it typically grows 5-10 feet tall and wide, depending on your climate and maintenance.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This ‘Temple Fire’ Bougainvillea is shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a good root system for transplanting into your garden or a larger container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Bougainvillea Temple Fire is primarily an outdoor flowering shrub, thriving in full sun and warm temperatures. In colder climates, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during winter.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal blooming and vibrant color, this plant requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sun generally leads to more prolific flowering.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the ‘Temple Fire’ Bougainvillea is considered relatively easy to care for. It’s a drought tolerant plant and requires minimal fuss, mainly needing proper sunlight, well-draining soil, and occasional pruning.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your plant will arrive healthy and well-packaged in a 6-inch pot. Please note that while some plants may have flowers, others might not, as blooming cycles vary.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: With proper care and sufficient sunlight, your ‘Temple Fire’ Bougainvillea should begin to produce its vibrant red flowers within a few weeks to a few months after planting, especially during its peak growing season.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Bougainvillea is typically hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. In zones with colder winters, it will need protection from frost or should be grown in a container and overwintered indoors.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature it can tolerate? A: This plant can tolerate temperatures down to around 30°F (-1°C) for short periods, but it is sensitive to frost and prolonged cold. Ideal temperatures are above 40°F (4°C).
• Q: What are the best uses for this outdoor flowering shrub? A: The ‘Temple Fire’ Bougainvillea is excellent for planting in garden beds, as a climbing vine on trellises or walls, in large containers, or as a colorful hedge. Its versatility makes it suitable for many landscape designs.