Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra; B. spectabilis)

Many named varieties of this plant are available. They are usually tall vines, but the bushier form are easier to keep within bounds, simply by cutting them back after flowering. Bougainvilleas bloom intermittently from late winter through summer. The vines have no natural means of support, so you need to stake and tie them-being wary of the thorns.

Bougainvilleas are erratic about dropping leaves in late fall. Sometimes, they go completely bare; sometimes, only partly so. The red-purple and yellow-orange flowered types are your best best for good bloom. The white-flowered and variegated-leaf forms are a bit difficult and shy-blooming. Variety Barbara Karst is one is one of the most satisfactory.

Light

Bougainvillea loves full sun; if possible, supply at least four hours of sun daily the year around.

Water

Water when soil starts to dry out. If in doubt, do not water; bougainvillea survives dryness better than excessive wetness. Be sure pot has adequate drainage.

Special Helps

Bougainvillea prefers well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Apply any completely soluble or liquid house plant fertilizer monthly from early spring through summer.

Propagate bougainvillea by taking semiwoody cuttings in disfiguring the original specimen. Remove a single leaf along with a bud and a piece of stem. Insert the stem section in a handful of moist sphagnum moss in a plastic bag. Tie the bag firmly around the stem of cutting and set it a spot away from direct sun. when the roots shows up inside the plastic, pot up the new plant.other plants that can be propagated by semiwoody cuttings include rubber plant, hibiscus, and snowflake plant.

Source : Growing Houseplants