Question
I fell in love with bougainvillea trees about a year ago when I saw some bougainvillea bonsais.

Today I was browsing a gardening center, and omgosh! They had 5 bougainvilleas for sale. I had to have one.

I live between zone 7 and 8 (depending who you ask) in Alabama, USA.

The tag says "Climbing variety"

It's small, about a foot tall with leaves/branches/flowers/mess sticking out in all directions.

Does it need a trellis or something to climb on?
Or will it grow like a tree and then the branches hang down (like a weeping willow or a weeping cherry)

Or something different?

It says it is not cold hardy however. Should I just keep it in a pot, or is there a way to take care of it in the winter time (placing a bag over it or something?)

Thanks

Answer
Hi Desirai,
Thanx for your question.  The bougainvillea is a lovely, thorny, woody vine native to tropical South America.  It is not hardy below Zone 9b which excludes Alabama except possibly the Gulf Coast area where it would be susceptible to winter kill, the roots might survive as this plant does in parts of Louisiana and South Texas.

The plant is not a tree and does have a trailing habit, however, if you're going to keep it, you'll have to treat it as a potted plant, putting it outdoors after the last frost and bringing it indoors before the first frost.  You'll have to keep it trimmed so you can manage it but it does make a lovely and hardy potted plant.  Feed it with low nitrogen food such as a rose food or just some well-composted manure in the spring and then again in the mid-summer.  It loves direct sunlight and it will enjoy Alabama's hot, humid summers.  I hope this helps.
Tom