Bougainvillea is a household name, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. These plants are known for their fast growth and low-maintenance trait.
Since the bougainvillea plants are free-standing and do not need to support their own weight, their root system is quite interesting. It’s not very strong in itself.
So without further ado, let’s read ahead to learn more about the bougainvillea root system. We will discuss whether the root system of these plants is invasive. Read to find out more.
Bougainvillea Root System Explained
The bougainvillea root system is relatively weak. These plants have a tap root system. Like most other dicot plants, the roots of bougainvillea plants are not invasive. Their roots, however, tend to be quite long. The roots are also very brittle and will be damaged easily.
Bougainvillea plants are known to grow very fast. Their branches tend to be rather invasive and will grow aggressively along a wall or by the side of your house if you do not cut them.
Given that the plant does not need to support itself with its stem, the roots of the bougainvillea plants are quite weak. They do not need the strength to hold themselves straight, which does not make them strong naturally.
Bougainvillea plants do not have invasive roots. Their roots are quite long though. The roots will spread around the base if you let them.
However, they will not harm other plants around them, so you can rest assured. The roots of bougainvillea plants are also quite brittle.
The roots can be damaged rather easily. So you will need to ensure that there are no invasive plants around your bougainvillea plant. These plants are free-standing. They will take any wall, house siding, gate, or any other structure around them as support.
This makes these plants rather weak in their roots. The roots will, therefore, not cause any damage to the soil underneath or other plants around it.
On the other hand, being weak and brittle in their roots, these plants do not appreciate any kind of disturbances to their roots. The roots will break off easily if they find invasive plants around them.
This may even terminate the plant. And if its not terminated, the plant will be heavily damaged when they are growing beside a plant that has invasive roots. The plant may even enter a state of shock in such a case.
Does Bougainvillea have deep roots?
No, bougainvillea plants do not have deep roots. They have weak roots. And their roots are quite brittle.
These plants grow quite aggressively. The bougainvillea plants are low maintenance and they will grow very fast. They do not need much support around them in order to grow.
Bougainvillea plants are free-standing. That is to say, the stem of this plant does not need to support the bougainvillea.
The plant will take support onto a wall, gate, house siding, or any other standing structure beside it. This makes the roots quite weak at its base.
Therefore, the roots of bougainvillea are not deep. They have tap root system. The roots will grow vertically downward, therefore not invading the roots of other plants beside it.
How Deep Are Bougainvillea Roots?
The roots of bougainvillea plants are not very deep. The depth of these roots may go as deep as 10 inches under the base of the plant.
Bougainvillea plants do not have very strong roots. They do not need to support the plant on its own, which makes them rather weak. So you will need to ensure that there is a standing support system around the plant.
It would be ideal if you can plant the bougainvillea plants beside a wall, or along the side of a house, or by the side of a gate. This will ensure a nice growth for the plant.
The roots of these plants are quite brittle and will be damaged easily. So you will have to make sure that there are not many disturbances around your bougainvillea plant.
Is bougainvillea taproot or fibrous?
Bougainvillea plants have taproot system. Their roots grow vertically downwards. So you will need to ensure that it has an ideal soil depth while planting a bougainvillae tree.
In addition, the roots of these plants are quite weak. These plants are free standing. That is to say, they will find support in any standing establishment beside them. So the plant does not need to support itself. This makes the root of these plants rather weak.
Moreover, the roots do not go much deep either. The roots of bougainvillea are not invasive and they will not harm other plants around them. The roots will go as deep as ten inches.
What kind of root system does bougainvillea have?
Let’s now take a look at the kind of root system that bougainvillea plants have. Read ahead to learn more.
Taproot:
Bougainvillea plants have taproot system. That means, their roots grow vertically downward. You will need to make sure that the plant has an ideal soil depth of about ten inches while planting a bougainvillea tree.
Weak roots:
Bougainvillae plants do not need to suppor the plant itself. It is true that these plants will grow by aggressively and even without much maintenance. But these plants do not tend to support themselves.
Bougainvillae plants grow along the walls or gates that they can find beside them. They can even grow along other plants. This makes their roots pretty weak.
Since they do not need to suppor themselves, these plants are free-standing. They have weak roots.
Brittle:
The roots of these plants are quite brittle. That means, the roots of bougainvillae plants are pretty easily damaged. These plants will be damaged by an invasive plant around them quite quickly.
So you will need to make sure that your bougainvillae does not have any aggressive plants around it or they will hamper its growth.
How big are Bougainvillea roots?
The roots of bougainvillea plants are not very deep. They do not have invasive roots. So their roots do not grow around a large area surrounding the plant.
The roots of these plants will grow as deep as ten inches underneath the base. So you can rest assured that it will not harm other plants beside it.
The plant grips other plants or any standing establishment around it. They do it using their thorns. Then they grow rather aggressively. But these plants will not grow with much force in their roots.
Are Bougainvillea Roots Invasive?
No, the roots of bougainvillea plants are not invasive. They have weak roots that are easily damaged. So instead of damaging other plants around them, the roots of bougainvillea are rather easily damaged by an invasive plant.
The roots of these plants are brittle. So if their roots are met with any disturbances under the soil, it will damage the roots.
Can Bougainvillea roots damage foundation or pipes?
No, bougainvillea plants will not damage foundation or pipes. On the contrary. The roots of bougainvillea plants are quite brittle and weak. So they will be damaged if the roots of bougainvillea are met with a strong foundation or pipe.
In order to ensure that well-being of your bougainvillae, you will have to make sure that there are no foundation or pipes around them.
In addition, note that the bougainvillea plants have a taproot system. So they will grow vertically downward. This leaves much less scope for this plant to damage other plants, pipes, or foundation around it.
Do Bougainvillea spread or multiply?
Bougainvillea plants have a rather simple reproduction process. You can simply multiply this plant by cutting its branches and planting it elsewhere. These plants grow quite easily from cuttings. So, they don’t spread or multiply on their own.
You can grow a new bougainvillae almost any time of the year. There is no ideal time for this job. These plants grow with very low maintenance which makes them such an ideal plant to decorate your house with.
But you will have to note that these plants are free standing, so they will need a support system by their side.
How much root space does a bougainvillea need?
Bougainvillea plants do not need much root space. You will need to ensure that their is enough space under the plant in order to allow room for its taproot to grow vertically downward.
Make sure that the hole is at least two times as wide as the rootball of the bougainvillea. This will ensure enough root space for the plant.
The taproots grow as long as 10 inches. Make sure that there are no disturbances around them, or it may harm the brittle roots of bougainvillae.
Final Thoughts
The roots of bougainvillea plants are not invasive. They have rather weak and brittle roots, that will be damaged if there is any disturbance in the soil. The bougainvillea plants have a taproot system, so their roots grow vertically downward, in long strands.