How to prune purple queen bougainvillea

After each flowering flush; annual hard prune in late winter/early spring. Shorten flowered laterals by one-third to a strong outward-facing bud after each flush. In late winter, remove dead, weak, or inward-crossing stems and reduce the framework by up to half. Always wear gloves — thorns are sharp.

After each bloom flush plus one annual shaping prune. Yes, prune Purple Queen bougainvillea to encourage the repeat flushes of vivid purple bracts that form on new growth. After each flowering period, cut back flowered stems by one-third. Apply a harder shaping prune in late winter or early spring before the season's growth kicks in, removing weak or crossing stems to open up the canopy.

Shorten flowered laterals by one-third to a strong outward-facing bud after each flush. In late winter, remove dead, weak, or inward-crossing stems and reduce the framework by up to half. Always wear gloves — thorns are sharp.