Looking at Plants

Bougainvillea x buttiana ‘Barbara Karst’

COMMON NAMES

Barbara Karst Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea (boo-gin-VILL-ee-uh) – named after Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811), sailor, explorer, and friend of French naturalist Dr. Philibert Commerçon

x buttiana (but-tee-AY-nuh) – a hybrid of Bougainvillea glabra and Bougainvillea peruviana; in honor of Mrs. R. Butt, discoverer of the hybrid

‘Barbara Karst’ – cultivar name, in honor of the daughter of James E. Hendry, Jr. – Everglades Nursery

GROUP 

Dicot

FAMILY 

Nyctaginaceae

ORIGIN

South America, Brazil

DESCRIPTION

Barbara Karst Bougainvillea is an evergreen woody shrub/vine that can be highly variable in its size, depending on how it is maintained and its support structure. Left unpruned, it could get as high as 15 to 25 feet and as wide as 6 to 10 feet. Its spreading form has been trained as a vine, shrub, and small tree. It has a fast growth rate.

Leaves are evergreen, ovate-shaped – but sometimes variable, alternate in arrangement, simple, 2 to 4 inches long with undulate margins, and medium green in color. It has pinnate veins.

The flowers are tiny, white/cream, tubular, and are surrounded by large red papery bracts, which are the prominent color feature. It blooms periodically throughout the year in warmer areas with a heavier bloom in winter.

Fruit 1 /2 inch long, thin, 5-lobed achenes, but they are not often seen.

HARDINESS

It is hardy in USDA Zones 9b to 11. Freezes will damage the foliage to frequently resprout in the spring in warmer areas. Recuperation potential depends on the age of the plant – younger plants being more susceptible to killing. ‘Barbara Karst’ has shown better cold hardiness than some other cultivars. It has good heat tolerance.

LIGHT

Full sun

SALT

Good Salt Spray Tolerance – it will grow near the shore but will benefit from a little protection such as behind the first row of plantings or behind the first dunes.

SOIL

It will grow on a wide variety of well-drained soils in the pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. It is not fond of soils that are constantly wet.

WATERING

It has good drought tolerance once established, but it will look better with irrigation in dry spells. More flowers are produced when it’s on the dry side to a point.

PROPAGATION

Cuttings 4 to 6 inches long, put under mist, will usually root in 4 to 6 weeks.

PRUNING

Prune to keep inbounds or shape – as vine, shrub, or tree. Late winter/early spring is the usual time for anything major. Repetitive pruning can reduce flowering – it flowers on new growth. Do regular pruning after flowering.

FERTILIZING

It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a slow-release balanced analysis fertilizer with micronutrients applied per the product label will work. Don’t overfertilize, though, as excessive vegetative growth will occur with fewer flowers.

PESTS

Aphids - University of California

Bougainvillea Looper - University of Hawaii

Citrus Mealybug - University of Florida

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug - University of Florida

Rugose Spiraling Whitefly - University of Florida

Leafcutting Bees - University of Florida

Giant Whitefly - University of California

Spider Mites - University of California

Grasshoppers - University of California

Reniform Nematode - University of Florida

DISEASES

Leaf Spots - Missouri Botanical Gardens

Pythium Root Rot - Purdue University

Rhizoctonia Root Rot - Michigan State University

Phytophthora Root Rot - North Carolina State University

DEER

Resistant

There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.

OTHER

USES

Mass plantings, specimen plant, accent plant, trained as small tree; cascading plant, containers, screening, bonsai

TOXICITY

A search of ASPCA, Texas A&M University, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Wisconsin, Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals - Merck Vet Manual, Purdue University - Guide to Toxic Plants in Forages, Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension, Florida Poison Control, and The Cat Fanciers Association did not show this plant on any of their lists.

California Poison Control gives Bougainvillea spp. a listing of:

1 - Dermal Skin - contact with these plants can cause symptoms ranging from redness, itching, and rash to painful blisters like skin burns.