Bougainvillea Inca Gold

Bougainvillea 'Inca Gold' (Bougainvillea glabra 'Inca Gold') carries warm orange and gold bracts right through the hot months and asks for almost nothing in return. Trained on a fence or pergola it reaches about 4m tall and 3m wide, and pruning holds it far smaller. Heat, salt wind and long dry spells barely register.

Why you'll love it

• Colour when it is hardest to get. The orange and gold bracts build through the warm months and hold for weeks, ageing to apricot before they drop.
• It thrives on neglect. Drought tolerant and heat tolerant once established, and it flowers harder in poor, dry soil than in a rich, well watered bed.
• Coastal proof. Salt tolerant enough for a beachside fence line where most flowering climbers scorch.
• You control the size. About 4m by 3m if trained and left alone, or a compact 1m shrub in a pot with two hard prunes a year.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart along a fence, wire or lattice, and tie the main canes in while young. The thorns are a bonus on a boundary and a drawback beside a path.

Coastal gardens. It shrugs off salt laden wind, so it suits front fences and exposed decks near the beach.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 500mm or wider restricts the roots, which suits it: a slightly stressed plant flowers best. Single plants also train well over an arch or pergola beam.

Growing bougainvillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, with as much reflected heat as you can give it. It belongs in tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and arid gardens. It is frost tender, so in cooler southern districts grow it against a north facing wall or in a pot that moves under cover for winter.

Soil. Free draining is the only real requirement. Sandy and gravelly soils are ideal. On clay, plant high on a mound, because wet feet in winter is what kills bougainvillea in this country.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then let it dry between drinks. Keeping it thirsty is deliberate: constant moisture and high nitrogen fertiliser give leafy growth and few bracts. Use a low nitrogen flowering fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Prune hard after the main flush, taking canes back by a third or more. Bracts form on new wood, so pruning drives the next display. Wear thick gloves and long sleeves: the thorns are sharp.

What to expect when it arrives

Three sizes are available: tube stock, 200mm pots in packs of six, and single 300mm plants. Tubes are young whips and the value choice for a long fence line, a season slower to cover. The 300mm plants arrive with several established canes and often colour in their first season.

Bougainvillea travels well but sheds bracts and leaves in the box, which is normal. Expect little visible growth for a month, then a strong run once the roots move. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the full bougainvillea care guide for pruning and flowering advice.
• Compare other climbing plants for fences and pergolas.
• Browse salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens.

Common questions

Why is mine all leaves and no colour?

Too much water, too much nitrogen, or not enough sun. Cut back the watering, switch to a low nitrogen fertiliser and make sure it gets six hours of direct sun. Bracts follow stress, not comfort.

Does it have thorns?

Yes, and they are sharp. Keep it away from narrow paths, doorways and play areas, and wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost burns the tips and a heavy frost can kill a young plant. In cold districts grow it in a pot that moves under cover, or against a warm north facing wall.