Bougainvillea in Northern CA

[cbrshadow23]

I'd like to try my hand at Bougainvillea for my next tree. Here in Northern California I see some nurseries carry Bougainvillea but they're all tall and skinny, so probably young. I see lots of examples of nice Bougainvillea bonsai trees with a fairly thick trunk - are these a different variety? Are they taken from the ground where they've grown for many years? What's the best way to acquire a good pre-bonsai that I can work on? I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area if that helps.
Thanks!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The thin bougies, you see in the landscape nurseries are the same as the ones used for bonsai. The difference is age. It get a bougie with a large diameter trunk, you need to find someone who has an old one in their landscape that they want to have removed. A vine that is over 25 feet long will have a thicker trunk. So look for big old bougies in the landscape. Then find the owners, and see if they want them removed. Usually only the first foot or so of the bougie becomes the future bonsai. The rest goes on the compost heap.

 

[AZbonsai]

The rest goes on the compost hea

Or you can cut the remaining portion into 1 foot sections. Score the bottom and apply some rooting hormone. Put it in a pot with a good soil mixture. Bag it up in a clear plastic bag. Put it in the shade and it will root and grow.

 

[AaronThomas]

it will root and grow.

NICE RANDY!!!

 

[oddirt]

I have a couple I just dug out of the yard last fall after 15 years in my garden. Got tired of how much maintenance they take and wanted to play around with rooting them. They are vigorous.

Bigger one is about 4” diameter at the base. Will probably section the lankier one into two or three pieces as @AZbonsai suggested. They don't like temps down in the 40s as they're rooting, so I'm keeping them in a greenhouse with temps >50F and humidity ~70% until we're fully into spring.

I'm in the East Bay if you might be interested in one of these, once they're well-established, @cbrshadow23 . I'm trying to focus on native trees and could part with one of these.

 

[cbrshadow23]

I have a couple I just dug out of the yard last fall after 15 years in my garden. Got tired of how much maintenance they take and wanted to play around with rooting them. They are vigorous.
View attachment 290168View attachment 290169
Bigger one is about 4” diameter at the base. Will probably section the lankier one into two or three pieces as @AZbonsai suggested. They don't like temps down in the 40s as they're rooting, so I'm keeping them in a greenhouse with temps >50F and humidity ~70% until we're fully into spring.

I'm in the East Bay if you might be interested in one of these, once they're well-established, @cbrshadow23 . I'm trying to focus on native trees and could part with one of these.

I’m interested! I’ll send you a PM!