Bougainvillea ‘Red Dragon’

Bougainvillea 'Red Dragon' (Bougainvillea 'Red Dragon') is the compact one. Instead of the ten metre monster swallowing a carport, it holds a shrubby habit around 2.5m tall and 2m wide, and prunes smaller or trains flat against a frame. The colour is deep red, carried in waves through the warm months, and it takes heat, salt wind and drought without complaint.

Why you'll love it

• Colour that lasts for weeks. The red sits in the bracts rather than the flowers, so a display holds far longer than an ordinary shrub.
• A size you can manage. At 2.5m by 2m it fits a large pot, a courtyard corner or a fence panel, and hard pruning keeps it lower again.
• Coastal and drought proof. Salt tolerant, heat tolerant and happy on very little water once established, so it suits exposed seaside blocks.
• It flowers on neglect. Less water and less fertiliser gives more colour, not less.

Where it works best

Pots and courtyards. A container restricts the roots, which suits bougainvillea perfectly and holds it closer to 1.5m. Use a pot at least 500mm wide against a warm sunny wall.

Screening and privacy. Trained along a fence or a wire frame it makes a dense thorny barrier. Given its 2m spread, plant 1.5m apart for a continuous run, and site it where nobody brushes past.

Coastal and feature planting. Salt laden wind does not bother it, so it suits a beach house boundary or a hot coloured feature in a dry garden.

Growing Bougainvillea 'Red Dragon' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours minimum, or the colour will not come. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, arid, semi-arid and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost tender, cool and southern districts want a pot that can move under cover.

Soil. Free draining is the only requirement, and poor sandy soil suits it better than rich ground. Mound the position on clay and disturb the root ball as little as possible, because these roots resent handling.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the first summer, then cut back hard, because a plant kept moist and fed with nitrogen makes lush growth and no colour. Let it dry between waterings and use a low nitrogen fertiliser in early spring and midsummer.

Pruning. Prune after each flush, cutting the long whippy growth back by a third to a half, which is where the size control happens. Wear thick gloves and long sleeves, because the thorns are sharp and the sap irritates skin.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube stock. Tubes are young plants with a handful of stems and no colour yet, which surprises people picturing the shrub they saw on a holiday street. It is still the right way to buy one, because small root systems establish far more reliably.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95. Some leaf drop in transit is normal and it reshoots quickly in warmth. Expect the first real flush in the second warm season, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Bougainvillea care tips for watering, feeding and colour
• See the full coastal and salt tolerant range
• Compare other drought tolerant plants
• Browse plants suited to pots and balconies

Common questions

Why is my bougainvillea all leaves and no colour?

Too much water, too much nitrogen, or not enough sun. It colours up under mild stress, so ease off the hose and switch to a low nitrogen fertiliser.

Does it have thorns, and will it survive frost?

The thorns are substantial, so keep it clear of paths and play areas and wear gloves when pruning. It is also frost tender, and a hard frost cuts it to the ground, so cold gardens should keep it potted and under cover for winter.

Can I keep it as a small shrub?

Yes. Left alone it reaches about 2.5m, but pruning after each flush holds it at 1m to 1.5m, and a container does much of that by restricting the roots.