Orange Ice Bougainvillea Live Plant – 1 Foot Tall – Variegated Foliage – 6 Inch Pot

Overview

The Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant is a stunning addition to any garden or patio, celebrated for its unique coloration and robust growth. This particular variety boasts a profusion of eye-catching orange, blossom-like bracts that create a spectacular display of tropical warmth. What truly sets the Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant apart is its contrasting variegated foliage, which adds an extra layer of visual interest even when the plant is not in full bloom. Originating from warm climates, bougainvillea plants are known for their resilience and ability to thrive in sunny conditions, making them a popular choice for gardeners seeking vibrant, low-maintenance flora. This beautiful specimen arrives as a 1-foot tall plant, ready to bring immediate charm and exotic flair to your outdoor spaces. Its mounded, spreading form makes it versatile for various landscape designs, from container gardening to groundcover applications. This is a true live plant, ensuring you receive a healthy, established specimen ready to flourish.

Known for its vigorous growth and stunning floral displays, the Orange Ice Bougainvillea is a fantastic choice for those looking to add a touch of the tropics to their home. Its scientific name is Bougainvillea glabra, though this specific cultivar ‘Orange Ice’ is recognized for its distinct color and leaf patterns. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting, this plant offers both beauty and a relatively easy care routine, rewarding you with continuous blooms throughout the warmer months. Its adaptability also makes it an interesting candidate for those interested in cultivating bougainvillea for bonsai, given its woody stems and ability to be trained.

Key Benefits

The Orange Ice Bougainvillea offers numerous benefits, making it a highly desirable plant for various garden settings. Its vibrant appearance and versatile nature contribute significantly to its appeal.

• Spectacular Orange Blooms: Enjoy a continuous display of bright orange, blossom-like bracts that provide a striking visual impact and bring a tropical feel to any space. The intense color of the Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant is unmatched.
• Unique Variegated Foliage: The contrasting variegated leaves add year-round interest, ensuring the plant remains attractive even when not in its peak blooming period. This distinctive foliage enhances its ornamental value.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: This plant is incredibly adaptable, perfect for use in hanging baskets where its spreading form can cascade beautifully, as a colorful shrub in garden beds, or as an attractive groundcover in small, sunny areas.
• Low Maintenance & Drought Tolerant: Once established, the Orange Ice Bougainvillea is relatively low-maintenance and can tolerate periods of drought, making it an excellent choice for busy gardeners or those in drier climates.
• Fast Growing & Vigorous: Known for its robust growth habit, this bougainvillea quickly establishes itself and provides rapid coverage, delivering a mature look to your garden in a shorter time frame.
• Attracts Pollinators: While the colorful bracts are the main attraction, bougainvillea can attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, adding life and movement to your garden ecosystem.
• Excellent for Training: Its woody stems and flexible branches make it an ideal candidate for training on trellises, arbors, or even as a unique specimen for bougainvillea for bonsai enthusiasts.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant is relatively straightforward, especially when provided with the right conditions. Bougainvillea thrives in environments that mimic its native tropical and subtropical origins. For optimal growth and prolific blooming, sunlight is paramount. This plant requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent scorching, but generally, the more sun it gets, the better it will bloom. When it comes to watering, bougainvillea prefers deep, infrequent watering. Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings, as overwatering can lead to root rot and inhibit blooming. During active growth and flowering, regular watering is important, but reduce frequency in cooler, dormant periods. Understanding proper orange bougainvillea care is key to a vibrant plant.

The ideal soil for bougainvillea is well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5-6.5). A good quality potting mix with added perlite or sand works well for container plants, ensuring excellent drainage. For in-ground planting, amend heavy clay soils with organic matter to improve drainage. Fertilize your bougainvillea every 2-4 weeks during the growing season (spring through fall) with a balanced fertilizer or one higher in phosphorus to encourage blooms. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Pruning is essential for maintaining shape, promoting bushiness, and encouraging more blooms. Prune after a flush of blooms to remove spent flowers and shape the plant. The Orange Ice Bougainvillea is hardy in USDA zones 9-11, where it can be grown outdoors year-round. In cooler zones, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during winter or treated as an annual. Monitor for common pests like aphids or mealybugs and treat with insecticidal soap if necessary. Proper orange bougainvillea care will ensure a stunning display.

Size & Details

This Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant is shipped as a vibrant specimen, approximately 1 foot tall, ready to be planted in your garden or a larger container. It arrives in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a healthy root system for easy transplanting and establishment. The plant exhibits a naturally low, mounded, and spreading form, making it an excellent choice for various landscaping applications. While its current height is 1 foot, with proper care, this bougainvillea can grow significantly larger, reaching heights of 3-6 feet and spreading 5-8 feet wide when planted in the ground in suitable climates. Its vigorous growth rate means you can expect it to fill out and establish itself relatively quickly, providing a rapid display of its beautiful orange bracts and variegated foliage. This variety is known for being a robust and healthy grower, offering a long season of interest. The strong root system ensures a smooth transition to its new home, making it an ideal choice for gardeners looking for a reliable and visually stunning plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant get? A: This plant is 1 foot tall when shipped. With proper care and ideal conditions, it can grow to be 3-6 feet tall and spread 5-8 feet wide, especially when planted directly in the ground in warm climates.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Orange Ice Bougainvillea thrives outdoors in full sun in USDA Zones 9-11. In cooler zones, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during winter or treated as an annual, making it a versatile option.
• Q: How much sunlight does the variegated bougainvillea need? A: This bougainvillea requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to produce the most vibrant blooms. Full sun exposure is crucial for its health and flowering performance.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the Orange Ice Bougainvillea is considered relatively easy to care for. It is drought-tolerant and requires minimal maintenance beyond regular watering, feeding, and occasional pruning.
• Q: What condition will the plant arrive in? A: Your Orange Ice Bougainvillea live plant will arrive 1 foot tall and securely shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, ensuring its roots are protected and the plant is healthy and ready for transplanting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant bougainvillea? A: The best time to plant bougainvillea is in spring or early summer, after the last frost, to allow it ample time to establish before cooler weather. This is also when you’ll see the most active growth for your spreading bougainvillea.
• Q: Will this bougainvillea survive winter in my zone? A: The Orange Ice Bougainvillea is hardy in USDA Zones 9-11. If you live in a colder zone, it’s best to grow it in a container and bring it indoors during winter or provide significant winter protection.
• Q: Can I use this bougainvillea for bonsai? A: Yes, bougainvillea is a popular choice for bonsai due to its woody stems, vibrant blooms, and ability to be trained and shaped. The Orange Ice variety’s unique foliage would make for a striking bonsai specimen.
• Q: What kind of soil does this plant prefer? A: This bougainvillea prefers well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5-6.5). A good quality potting mix for containers or well-amended garden soil for in-ground planting is ideal.
• Q: How often should I fertilize for optimal orange bougainvillea care? A: During the active growing and blooming season (spring through fall), fertilize every 2-4 weeks with a balanced fertilizer or one that is higher in phosphorus to encourage abundant flowering.