La Jolla Bougainvillea

‘La Jolla’ is a compact bougainvillea with dark green foliage and vivid red to fuchsia papery bracts around small white true flowers. Its bushy form can be trained as a small vine or used as a groundcover, screen, or container specimen. The [Boething Treeland Farms profile](https://www.boethingtreeland.com/plants/bougainvillea-la-jolla/) recommends full sun and deep, infrequent watering in well-drained soil. ## Landscape Use Use it on a slope, as a low screen, or in a large container where a compact habit is useful. [Orange County Water Smart Gardens](https://www.ocwatersmartgardens.com/eplant.php?plantnum=1013&return=d29) identifies La Jolla as a compact shrub for containers and reports bright red bracts. Older Southern California garden reporting describes it as a larger shrub than some groundcover types, so mature size varies with climate and pruning. ## Size and Siting A maintained plant often fits a 4–6 ft space; those grown as groundcover can spread farther. Provide full sun for stronger bract color, with light afternoon shade acceptable in hot settings. Cold can damage the stems and trigger dieback. ## Soil and Water Plant in fast-draining soil. Water deeply but infrequently once established, allowing soil to dry between irrigations; container plants may need more frequent checks. Avoid disturbing the root ball during planting. ## Maintenance Prune after a flush or in late winter to shape the shrub, and remove damaged stems after frost risk passes. It is frost sensitive but can recover from dieback in warm regions. Protect containers from freezing conditions.