Bouganvillea - small flowers

[nuttiest]

This is the pixie bouganvillea - dwarf flowers and leaves. I thought I would share because there will be a lot of styling over the next few years while I wait for the main wound to heal.
For now, I plan to up-pot back into a 3 gallon because it looks like it will take too long to heal a large wound without doing so.



I will cut tips and get a better photo of branches and the trunk wound.

 

[August]

Im jealous nutty! I've fallen in love with bougies but havent found a pixie anywhere

 

[Carol 83]

Im jealous nutty! I've fallen in love with bougies but havent found a pixie anywhere

Wigert's has them . I have a few. I could start some cuttings for you if you want. Never tried in the winter but I imagine they would do OK.

 

[August]

Wigert's has them . I have a few. I could start some cuttings for you if you want. Never tried in the winter but I imagine they would do OK.

I probably will order a tree from Wigerts next year! Maybe a pink pixie it shall be. Ive seen their big ones... absolutely crazy!

Not to hijack the thread with questions, but being from a temperate climate, whats the best time to ship tropical trees?

 

[nuttiest]

August - I don't think there is a bad time of year - because in worst part of summer they would love to go in a box for a few days to get out of summer heat. In winter, they might like to go in someone's house! I am always amazed at the success people on here have with taking plants in for as much as 4 months and the next year they are fine.
How long do your trees tolerate this, Carol?
I will see if they have any 3 gallon at the nursery right now, and cut the bottom 1/3 off for you, and put it on ebay so your shipping is cheaper. My favorite is that 'apple blossom' color but I can't find them with a decent trunk.

 

[Carol 83]

I probably will order a tree from Wigerts next year! Maybe a pink pixie it shall be. Ive seen their big ones... absolutely crazy!

Not to hijack the thread with questions, but being from a temperate climate, whats the best time to ship tropical trees?

They sometimes have what they call "thicker" pixie cuttings for $15 and they are actually really nice. They are of varied color, so you never know what you'll get. I received a yellow and a purple one. They're really good about about asking what your weather is and will add a heating pack if you want. I don't think you need to wait until spring.

 

[Carol 83]

How long do your trees tolerate this, Carol?

Funny thing. I keep my sun lovers on my patio on the south side of the house. They used to get full sun but as our southern magnolia gets bigger, they have been getting more shade. Very shortly after I bring them in under the lights, they all start blooming. So apparently they like the lights. I have to prune them several times over the winter.

 

[nuttiest]

You have a southern magnolia to bring in too?

 

[nuttiest]

as our southern magnolia gets bigger

In the ground - WOW! I found the flower picture AND the snow picture.. is this ever heard of?

 

[Carol 83]

In the ground - WOW! I found the flower picture AND the snow picture.. is this ever heard of?

Not many this far north. My husband absolutely hates it, if not for the shade it provides it would be long gone. It sheds it leaves May/June, huge leathery leaves that takes weeks to completely fall. And the giant seed pods that fall are a recipe for a broken ankle. BUT the flowers are as big as a dinner plate and smell heavenly.

 

[nuttiest]

Last day of winter here! I want to chop it to lowest branch and just grow tighter canopy off that, unless anyone thinks a better idea on those ugly branches above it. There is a large wound at base from twin trunk removal which is slow to heal so it will be up-potted as well to help that.

 

[kauaibonsai]

Work in progress pictures of a XXL collected pink pixie bougainvillea

 

[nuttiest]

I don't know how there are any this big - didn't they just breed a dwarf 10 years ago? I wonder how large mature specimen is in landscape?

 

[milehigh_7]

I don't know how there are any this big - didn't they just breed a dwarf 10 years ago? I wonder how large mature specimen is in landscape?

Pink pixie is really not a “dwarf” per se as the plant itself gets quite large. It does have far more leaf nodes and smaller leaves and flowers however. There are also two other varieties that grow the same as pink pixie. Torch glow and Bangkok Red. Remember no cutting is too large to root! Also large wounds really don’t heal on bougs. You are better off incorporating the chop into your design. Another thing is make sure you preserve your dead wood if it is even remotely humid where you are.

 

[nuttiest]

Pink pixie is really not a “dwarf” per se as the plant itself gets quite large. It does have far more leaf nodes and smaller leaves and flowers however. There are also two other varieties that grow the same as pink pixie. Torch glow and Bangkok Red. Remember no cutting is too large to root! Also large wounds really don’t heal on bougs. You are better off incorporating the chop into your design. Another thing is make sure you preserve your dead wood if it is even remotely humid where you are.

Nice - thanks for the info!
I did not think of bougianvillea as being hard to heal because the ones I used to work on were big hulking out of control things that would heal multiple 1" cuts in a season.
The bottom chop could be part of design, but now that I chopped the top part that stub is too small to do anything with. I guess I will have to think about a much lower chop then.

 

[Bonsai_hope]

Funny thing. I keep my sun lovers on my patio on the south side of the house. They used to get full sun but as our southern magnolia gets bigger, they have been getting more shade. Very shortly after I bring them in under the lights, they all start blooming. So apparently they like the lights. I have to prune them several times over the winter.

I keep my Bouganvilleas in a greenhouse in winter set to no lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I keep them under full spectrum lights and they are in bloom from about December.

 

[kauaibonsai]

Preserving bougainvillea bonsai deadwood is a challenge growers face especially if the tree lives in a damp, warm, high humidity location. Untreated deadwood wherever it exists quickly becomes mushy rot. Deadwood/rot occurring deep inside the trunk is difficult to detect and challenging to treat. To growers who have successfully figured how to deal with this, tips would be very much appreciated

 

[milehigh_7]

Preserving bougainvillea bonsai deadwood is a challenge growers face especially if the tree lives in a damp, warm, high humidity location. Untreated deadwood wherever it exists quickly becomes mushy rot. Deadwood/rot occurring deep inside the trunk is difficult to detect and challenging to treat. To growers who have successfully figured how to deal with this, tips would be very much appreciated

It’s not a huge issue for me because about 3/4 of our year it is single digit humidity.

 

[jradics]

I probably will order a tree from Wigerts next year! Maybe a pink pixie it shall be. Ive seen their big ones... absolutely crazy!

Not to hijack the thread with questions, but being from a temperate climate, whats the best time to ship tropical trees?

my logical brain says dont ship tropical trees to Colorado in times of winter weather. Planes trains and trucks are generally not heated and if your plant doesnt straight up die, it could be seriously damaged. I'd wait til april or may. (just one man's opinion)

 

[It's Kev]

No pink pixie for me, but I did find a double petal bougie, aaand it might not survive the winter, zone 10, but it’s barely hanging on after the sudden cold we got