I have a friend of the clerical persuasion who is a wonderful gardener. When I say “wonderful”, I don’t mean that his suburban lot looks like Longwood Gardens. I mean that when he sets his mind to growing something well, it grows exceptionally well. This is because he understands the “why” of gardening as well as the “how” of gardening. In my mind it takes both to produce really special results.
My friend called last week to invite me over to see his bougainvillea. A storm threatened and he was afraid that the blossoms, which were at the peak of perfection, would be decimated by the wind and rain. It was already sprinkling a little when he called, so there wasn’t a moment to lose.
The bougainvillea was magnificent. Shrubby and growing in all directions from a large container, it was completely covered with bright cerise blooms. Bougainvilleas, like poinsettias and dogwoods, bear showy flower “petals” that are actually bracts or modified leaves surrounding the small, white, true flowers. This flower/bract distinction is important to botanists, but no matter what you call them, the colorful bracts draw human eyes and probably help the pollinators get to the right places. The whole system works nicely and allows those of us who love flowers to enjoy a glorious spectacle during bougainvillea bloom season in the mid to late summer.
Bougainvillea is genus of about fourteen species of tropical plants, native to South and Central America. It was first described in the eighteenth century by a widely-traveled French physician/botanist, Philibert Commerson, who was serving in his professional capacity aboard the ship Bordeuse, commanded by Admiral Louis Antoine, Count of Bougainville. To honor and/or curry favor with the Admiral, Commerson named the new genus after him.
The first species, Bougainvillea spectabilis arrived in Europe in 1829, presumably others followed. Their popularity spread and the plants naturalized in areas with congenial climates. My clerical friend saw them growing “wild” in Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and my daughter saw similar untamed specimens running rampant in Greece. I have seen them draped over stone walls in California. Good things have a habit of getting around and bougainvillea has spread like a rainbow around the globe. Depending on the species, variety or hybrid, the plants can grow between fifteen and forty feet tall. Cultivated in containers they can be kept much smaller. This is particularly necessary if you live in a cold winter climate and have to bring them inside for the winter months.
Most modern bougainvillea, like my friend’s, are either cultivated varieties bred from various species, hybrids of two or more species or spontaneous genetic mutations. The range of colors is kaleidoscopic, including white, yellows, oranges, all shades of red and pink, plus purple. Species plants and many hybrids bear single “flowers”, but doubles are also readily available. In addition to the magnificent cerise-flowered plant, my friend also cultivates a smaller bougainvillea with variegated leaves.
My friend treats his bougainvillea like a well-loved family member, bringing it inside in fall and keeping it warm, comfortable and well-lighted all winter. Before returning to the outdoors though, the plant receives something you definitely wouldn’t do to a family member–thorough top pruning, to induce bushy growth and root pruning to check size and ensure plant health.
Root pruning is a little messy, but rather easy. Spread enough newspaper or plastic to cover a wide area of floor and carefully tip the plant and root ball out of the pot. With a sharp garden or other knife, shave off the sides and bottom of the root ball, so it is reduced in size by about two inches all the way around. Afterwards, loosen outside roots with a stick or hand fork to aid new growth. Fill the pot with two inches of fresh potting mix and reposition the plant in the pot. Fill in around the side with additional potting mix and tamp down to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly to stimulate growth and fertilize with a plant food, such as 6-4-6, that has more nitrogen and potassium than phosphorus and is formulated for bougainvillea and other tropical plants. My friend, who is originally from Texas, made reference to a special nutrient mixture brewed up in the Lone Star State, which apparently works wonders on bougainvillea. I can only imagine what goes into it, but it might be worth searching out.
For a good selection of bougainvillea—single, double, variegated and in many colors—go to Logees, 141 North Street, Danielson, CT 06239; (888) 330-8038; www.logees.com. Free catalog.