Bougainvillea Thrives on a Desert Slope with Agaves and Cacti

Subtropical bougainvillea makes a surprisingly good companion to agave, cactus, desert spoon, and other Southwest plants on this slope. According to landscape designer Ray Martin, "Bougainvillea blooms best when it's a bit stressed. So it's actually most attractive in a low-water, well-drained situation like this."

For this project at Big Horn Golf Club in Palm Desert, California, Martin used two varieties: 'La Jolla' (bright red) on the upper slope, and 'Oo-La-La' (magenta) on the more densely planted lower slope. 'Oo-La-La' hasn't needed pruning due to competition from surrounding plants. 'La Jolla' requires more maintenance: "Any shoot that grows straight up is cut off immediately so the plant doesn't get shrubby," Martin says.

Bougainvillea is widely grown in Arizona's intermediate and low deserts (Sunset climate zones 12 and 13). Other good groundcover varieties: 'Brilliant Variegated' (red flowers, variegated leaves), 'Purple Queen', 'Raspberry Ice' (deep pink with creamy yellow edges), and 'Rosenka' (gold fading to pink).

DESIGN: Ray Martin, Ray Martin Design & Associates, La Quinta, CA (760/771-2071)