Paper flower

Paper flower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Vigorous climbing shrub with long, flexible stems. It does not twine or cling by itself but hooks into other plants with its thorns, so it needs tying in. In a pot usually 1.5–3 m.

Leaves

Elliptic to oval, 5–10 cm, glossy mid-green and almost hairless. In a cool winter it drops some of its leaves.

Flowers

Three small, creamy-white tubular flowers per cluster, each set against a brightly coloured, papery bract.

Colour

Purple to magenta in the species. Cultivars and hybrids also come in white, pink, red, orange and yellow, some with variegated leaves.

Thorns

Sharp, slightly curved thorns in the leaf axils.

Roots

Fine and brittle: it dislikes root disturbance when repotted and flowers best in a pot that is not too large.

Flowering: June–October · Plants: May–June · Pruning: March and October

Why grow it?

• Months of colour: from June to October it flowers in flushes, each time new shoots appear.
• The papery bracts stay attractive for weeks, much longer than ordinary petals.
• Brings a Mediterranean feel to a sunny patio, a balcony or a conservatory.
• Copes with heat and short dry spells: ideal for a hot spot against a wall where other pot plants scorch.
• Easy to shape: on a trellis, around a hoop or as a standard.

Paper flower: where does it grow best?

• As much sun as possible: the sunniest, warmest spot on the patio, ideally against a south-facing wall.
• Light, free-draining compost: potting compost mixed with some sand or fine gravel, slightly acid to neutral.
• Rather dry than too wet: never leave water standing in the saucer.
• Sheltered from strong wind and driving rain, which damage the bracts.
• Outdoors in summer; from October to mid-May indoors in a light, cool place.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

3 m tall, 1.5 m wide

Hardiness

Frost tender: overwinter indoors (above 3 °C)

Goes well with

• Cape leadwort: Sky-blue flowers next to the magenta, with the same summer outdoors and winter indoors.
• Oleander: Another Mediterranean-style pot plant for the same sunny spot and the same cool overwintering.
• Olive tree: Silver-grey foliage as a calm backdrop to the bright colours.
• African lily: Blue globes on long stems, also happy in a pot on a sunny patio.
• Lavender: Scented and silver-grey, for the front of a sunny group of pots.

Paper flower: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Repot or plant in May–June, when the nights are warm enough and the plant is growing strongly.
2. Choose a pot with drainage holes, but not too big: at most a few centimetres wider than the root ball. In an oversized pot it makes lots of leaves and little colour.
3. Put a layer of gravel or clay pebbles in the bottom and use free-draining compost, for example one for Mediterranean plants, or multi-purpose compost with a third of sand.
4. Ease the plant out of its old pot carefully and keep the root ball intact, as the roots break easily.
5. Set it at the same depth as before, firm lightly and water thoroughly once.
6. Put a trellis, hoop or sturdy canes in place straight away and tie the stems in loosely.

Care

Water

In summer, water only when the top few centimetres are dry, but then thoroughly. In winter, very sparingly: just enough to stop the root ball drying out completely.

Feeding

From April to September, liquid feed for flowering plants every two weeks. Too much nitrogen gives lots of leaves and little colour.

Tying in

Tie new stems to the support regularly: it does not climb on its own.

Spent clusters

Cut off faded clusters just above the next leaf: a new flush of colour follows sooner.

Repotting

Every two or three years in spring, into a pot only slightly larger. Handle the root ball with care.

Tip: Keep the pot on the snug side rather than roomy and let the compost dry out between waterings: it will make fewer leaves and far more colourful bracts.

Paper flower: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and October.

When: The main prune is in March, before new growth starts. In October you can shorten over-long stems before bringing it indoors.

How:

• It flowers on new shoots: in March, cut last year’s side shoots back to 2–3 buds above the older wood.
• Remove dead, weak and crossing stems, as well as any that dried out over winter.
• Keep a framework of a few sturdy main stems; only the side shoots are cut back each year.
• In October, shorten over-long stems so that the plant fits indoors.

Caution: Wear sturdy gloves: the stems have sharp thorns.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In June–August, take semi-ripe cuttings of 10–15 cm, strip the lower leaves and insert them in a mix of compost and sand. They root best under a plastic cover with bottom heat of 20–25 °C. Success varies, so take several at once.

Layering

In summer, bend a long stem down to a second pot, make a small nick in the bark, pin that section under the compost and keep it moist. After a few months, cut the new plant free.

Paper flower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 3 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not hardy: it cannot take frost and is already damaged below about 3 °C.
• Bring it in as soon as nights drop below about 8 °C, usually in late September or October.
• Overwinter in the light at 8–12 °C, for example in a cool greenhouse, an unheated conservatory or a light, cool room. Water very little and do not feed.
• Leaf drop in winter is normal. From March, move it somewhere warmer and water more; after mid-May it can go back outside.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: Too little sun, too much water or feed, or too big a pot. Give it more sun, let the compost dry out between waterings and use a feed for flowering plants.
• Bract drop: After being moved, a sudden cold spell or irregular watering. Give it a permanent spot and water regularly.
• Mealybug and scale: White fluffy tufts or brown scales on the stems, especially while overwintering. Wipe them off with a cloth and water with a little soft soap.
• Red spider mite: Fine pale speckles on the leaves and sometimes webbing, in warm, dry indoor air. Move it somewhere cooler and rinse the leaves with lukewarm water now and then.
• Root rot: Yellow leaves and a soggy, musty root ball: the compost stays too wet, especially in winter. Water less and make sure drainage is good.

Through the year

• January: Overwintering: in the light at 8–12 °C. Very little water.
• February: Overwintering. Check for mealybug and scale.
• March: Prune. Move somewhere a little warmer and water more. Repot if needed.
• April: New growth starts. Feed every two weeks.
• May: After mid-May, move outside to the sunniest spot. Repot or plant.
• June: Flowering begins. Tie in stems, water and feed.
• July: Flowering. Let the compost dry out between waterings.
• August: Flowering. Remove spent clusters. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• September: Flowering. No more feeding after September.
• October: Last flowers. Bring in before cold nights and shorten over-long stems.
• November: Overwintering, light and cool. Leaf drop is normal.
• December: Overwintering. Little water, but do not let the root ball dry out completely.

Did you know?

• What look like flowers are bracts: the real flowers are small, white and tubular and sit in the middle.
• It is named after the French navigator Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. During his voyage around the world (1766–1769), the plant was collected in Brazil by the botanist Philibert Commerson and his assistant Jeanne Baret, who travelled disguised as a man.
• It belongs to the same plant family as the four o’clock flower (Mirabilis), whose flowers open only in the late afternoon.