Bougainvillea experiment a thorny pursuit

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Every bougainvillea has its thorns.

And last weekend the Glendora Bougainvillea was lodged in my side.

It all started this past spring when I bought a bougainvillea, remembering how striking it was in bloom and how astounded I was when my first one blossomed way up here in the oft-frozen North. So I decided to try it again in a pot on the deck at home.

It didn’t do so well this year.

The plant put off a vine about 2 feet long and then a second shoot appeared. But no flowers.

As fall approached, I debated the merits of saving a few healthy plants from certain death. Among my top contenders were a sturdy abutilon, a cheery fuchsia and my blossomless bougainvillea.

I had decided that my window at work was a great spot for the bougainvillea, a South American native. The plant needs about five hours of sunshine and warm temperatures, both of which the office has in spades on sunny days. Plus I remember to water more frequently at work because I’ve seen what the low humidity in winter does to the plants in my office. Perfect spot, I thought.

Of course, I needed a pot. And new soil. And some kind of corner plant stand so that the vine wouldn’t be hanging into the file cabinet.

Amazing how much money can go into a $4 plant.

Once all was ready, I dug the bougainvillea out of its summer pot and deposited it into its new home. I noticed that there was one lone flower, which managed to fall off at some point in the transition. At least I knew the color of the bracts: a warm coral.

Bougainvillea’s “flowers” are like those of a poinsettia. The true flower on a bougainvillea looks more like a large stamen in the midst of the three papery bracts, but in truth it is a small flower.

I also managed to poke myself with one of the thorns, which I didn’t remember seeing on the other bougainvillea I had, but then that one I didn’t repot when it was an unwieldy size.

As usual, I read after the fact that it might not be a good thing to repot the bougainvillea. The plant actually likes to be root-bound. Then I read that I probably should prune it – severely – because it was likely that every flower and leaf would fall off anyway if I brought it inside. Everywhere I read said that bougainvillea blossom best in spring, fall and winter; the long days of summer retard flower growth. And it likes high humidity right before it comes into bloom.

Well, here was a conundrum of epic proportions.

First, I had repotted. If nothing ever happens with my bougainvillea this winter, I can always blame that.

Second, if I prune it, how will I get any bract formation? All reports say to whack it back to the edge of the pot, which would make the vines about 5 inches long. The pruning will encourage growth for next sum-

mer, which is when it doesn’t like to blossom.

Third, it likes to flower in winter, but that is when the humidity is lower inside, not higher.

I have pondered this over the past few days and decided that I cannot be influenced by such discouraging words. I look at it this way: If French explorer Adm. Louis Antoine de Bougainville and botanist Philibert Commerson could circumnavigate the globe in the 1760s and bring bougainvillea back to France to grow, then I should be able to nurture my specimen through a Maine winter. I hope.

My one concession to cultivation recommendations was to buy some time-release fertilizer. That, with vigilant watering – never let it stand in water – may raise my chance of success.

I know I can never aspire to have what warmer climes have, where bougainvillea grow like weeds. Which brings me back to the Glendora Bougainvillea, whose story I found on the Internet.

In 1978, Glendora, Calif., dedicated its first State Historical Landmark, which later became the first plant or group of plants listed in the National Register.

The Glendora Bougainvillea were planted in 1901 and grow along 1,200 feet of road. The vines had once climbed up to 70 feet around 25 90-foot-tall palm trees. By 1978, the bougainvillea had collapsed to 20-40 feet tall, with a diameter of 12-20 feet. The plan then was to prune the bougainvillea and build supports for each to grow around, with the goal of having the vines return to their former glory.

I had to see to believe, but there were no photographs. I began searching the state and national registers and a multitude of Glendora Web sites to no avail. I felt desperate. I was thorn-in-my-paw annoyed and I kept picking at it, unable to leave it alone. I couldn’t believe that the town wouldn’t publicize the plants as a “thing to do” on their Web sites. I began to wonder if the plants were dead.

I couldn’t believe I’d spent nearly two hours looking for the darn thing.

Finally, I did a search for “Glendora Bougainvillea photo” and what should appear but a picture of the dedication plaque at the site and two pictures of the magnificent vines dated 1998.

It was about then that I realized most of these flowering mounds of bougainvillea were about as large as my house’s length and width.

I wonder when I should start to worry about space problems for my little twig.

Janine Pineo is a NEWS systems editor. Her e-mail address is jpineo@bangordailynews.net.