Bougainvillea is considered to be one of the most beautiful flowering vines of all! Pretty much every home owner asks about the possibility of growing one. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, these tropical thorny plants, native to South America, do great, year round, especially if planted in a sunny, warm spot like a south or west facing wall. Keep them consistently watered until they’re fully established, and you could be looking at a drought tolerant bloom machine for years to come! Want to see how Bougainvillea vines do 12 months of the year? If so, enjoy the Bougainvillea bloom calendar photos below.
Photos below are by season, and dated, to show you strongest bloom times; which is summer, in the SF Bay Area, but expect blooms sometimes 3/4 of the year, if you’re one of the lucky ones! In northern California, expect semi-dormancy in the winter. If you have a mild microclimate/location foliage may remain all winter. You might even have some blooms in January and February.
NOTE: This is part 1 of Bougainvillea series. (Part 2 Here)
‘Bougainvillea Calendar’
photos through the seasons
WINTER ~
Bougainvillea in February
Bougainvillea – famous Crooked Lombard Street, San Francisco. Winter (Light Blue home with Bougainvillea growing against front of home)
Bougainvillea in winter. Crooked Lombard Street. SF
Winter Bougainvillea. Less foliage at bottom. Crooked Lombard St., San Francisco
Bougainvillea in February, winter, San Francisco, CA
Bougainvillea in winter San Francisco
SPRING ~
Bougainvillea in April
Bougainvillea spring San Francisco
Red Bougainvillea close up spring. SF, CA
Bougainvillea in spring, Belvedere, CA
SUMMER ~
Bougainvillea in June
Bougainvillea Summer, SF
Bougainvillea example with two different colors growing together. Beautiful. Presidio Heights, San Francisco. Summer.
Bougainvillea in July
Bougainvillea and blue Jacaranda tree flowers
Red espalier bougainvillea in a pot. Berkeley, CA. July
Bougainvillea in August
Bougainvillea August
Bougainvillea August
Bougainvillea August
Purple Bougainvillea swallowing San Francisco house. Summer. Presidio Heights.
Red Bougainvillea- and white Plumbago. August. Berkeley, CA
FALL ~
Bougainvillea in October
Red Bougainvillea, Fall, Sea Drift, Stinson Beach, CA
Bougainvillea in November
Red bougainvillea in fall. Pacific Heights, San Francisco
Purple Bougainvillea in fall with both fresh and dead flowers/bracts. Pacific Heights, San Francisco
Purple Bougainvillea with lots of spent (dead flowers) in fall. Pacific Heights, San Francisco
Conclusion
Love Bougainvillea and want to learn more about this exceptional plant? See what the difference is between Bougainvillea vine and Bougainvillea shrub form ( Part 2).
