Climbing shrub purple bracts bougainvillea

Credit: Dinkum

Violet and white flowers bougainvillea Violet de Mèze

Credit: Mateo Granado

Fine purple Bougainvillea bracts

Credit: Lynn Greyling

White flowers purple bracts Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze

Credit: Oba Tango

Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze, the most French of bougainvilleas

Not all bougainvilleas are born in South America. The Violet de Mèze bougainvillea was born in France, in the Hérault region to be precise. More hardy than its cousins in the Nyctaginaceae family, it offers the same flamboyant blooms from May to the first frosts.

How to recognize the Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze?

Like its ancestors, the remarkable Bougainvillea and bougainvillea glabra, the Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze is a climbing shrub. In pots, it reaches a height of five meters and a spread of two meters. In the open ground, it can reach a height of ten meters under mild skies.

Thanks to its prickles, it can hang its long, flexible shoots from any support. But it can also be trained into a tree, pruned into a ball or formed into a pyramid.

Unlike South American varieties, the Violet de Mèze bougainvillea is deciduous. When winter sets in, its leaves fall off. In spring, it produces new limbs. Coriaceous and downy, the leaves are lanceolate with a cordate base. Young plants have bright green leaf blades. Older plants have dark green blades.

From May onwards, the foliage is enhanced by heart-shaped purple bracts. Thin as tissue paper, they enclose panicles of white or yellow flowers.

Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze is non-toxic. You can enjoy its lush blooms and foliage even if you live with small children or greedy pets.

Our maintenance tips

Resistant to drought, but not to frost, your Bougainvillea spectoglabra Violet de Mèze requires little care. Rich soil, light pruning and a little water are all it needs to thrive.

Watering

Allow the substrate to dry for about five centimetres before watering. Use non-calcareous water, such as rainwater. Moisten the soil without soaking it.

Wait for the water to drain through the drainage holes before putting your plant back in its place. Empty any water stagnating in the dish. It may rot the roots.

Spray

Your bougainvillea Violet de Mèze hates wet foliage. You must not mist the plant.

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Bougainvillea spectabilis x glabra Violet de Mèze to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Place your stake in a perforated pot. Pour in clay balls, gravel or pozzolan to form a drainage layer. Then add potting soil for Mediterranean plants.

Plant your Bougainvillea spectoglabra Violet de Mèze in the center. The top of the rootball should be at least three centimetres below the edge of the planter. This will prevent water overflow during watering. Fill in with substrate.

The plant clings to its stake by itself, thanks to its spines. But you can guide it to achieve a more harmonious habit. If you attach the branches to the trellis, make sure you use stem-safe ties.

Once your Bougainvillea spectoglabra Violet de Mèze is in place, tamp and water to remove air bubbles.

Fertilization

You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.

Feed your Bougainvillea spectabilis x glabra Violet de Mèze with a flowering plant fertilizer twice a month to support flowering.

Prune

Use clean, sharp pruning shears to remove dead wood.

You can then cut back the young shoots to structure the shape of your Bougainvillea spectoglabra Violet de Mèze.

Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze flower on the previous year's wood. Don't prune all the branches- you'll miss the bloom!

Plantation

Once the last spring frosts have passed, you can plant.

Choose a sunny spot sheltered from the wind. Bougainvillea Violet de Mèze are climbing plants. Even if you plant your specimen close to a wall, provide a stake for it to hang on.

Soak your Bougainvillea spectoglabra Violet de Mèze to rehydrate the root ball. Meanwhile, dig a hole twice the size of its current pot. Remove stones, weeds and anything else that might hinder root growth.

Set up your trellis and plant your plant. The grafting point should not be buried. Fill in with garden soil and pack gently to avoid damaging the roots. Water copiously.

Guide the branches along the stake to control the shape of the shrub.

Cutting

For annual pruning, select a terminal shoot about fifteen centimetres long. The stem should still be supple. Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.

Plant your cutting in a pierced pot lined with potting soil for seedlings and plantations. Spray the substrate with non-calcareous water.

The graft takes better in a stifled environment. Cover the plant with a translucent plastic bag or cloche.

Place your young plant in a bright room where the temperature is between 20 and 25°.

The appearance of new leaves indicates that your cutting is taking root.

Diseases / Threats

Aphids

Red spiders

Mealybug, accompanied by ants for its honeydew.

Mealybugs

Information

Family	Nyctaginaceae - Nyctaginaceae
Type	Bougainvillea - Bougainvillea
Species	Bougainvillea spectoglabra Violet de Mèze - Bougainvillea spectabilis x glabra Violet de Mèze
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Deciduous
Exposure	Sun
Substrats	Clay soil Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting methods	Open ground In pots In tubs
Categories	Shrub Climber Flowery
Tags	Flowery Rustic
Origin	Southern Europe
Hardiness (USDA)	9a
Leaf color
Flower colors