Bougainvillea indoors in Colorado?

[GeorgeHaddaway]

We live in Crested Butte, Colorado. My dad and I have been into bonsai for a couple years now, and we really want a Bougainvillea. We just moved to Crested Butte, and we already have a couple indoor bonsai. I do know that Bougainvillea are about as tropical as it gets. We have radiant heating in the house, and in the winter and summer the house stays very warm. We are going to put the tree in a rotunda, so it gets lots of sun because it's 360 degree windows. The picture I attached is the one we're looking at right now.

Thanks,
George

 

[bonsaichile]

Hey! I am in Denver, and I have one. I would recommend to keep it outside as long as night temperatures are over 45. They need as.much sun as you can get them, or they wont flower. Indoors, windows are pretty much meaningless for plants. Get a growing lamp and put ot under it, with the light no more than 8 inches from the plant. Good luck!

 

[Carol 83]

That's from Wigert's? Looks like their background picture. They are excellent vendors, but just saying you might want to start out with a less expensive bougie, to get used to them. I am no expert whatsoever, but here, they thrive outside all summer, until about mid-October, when it gets chilly. They tend to drop all their bracts, and most leaves when first moved in. I give them as much light as I can with a southern exposure and grow lights. They bounce back from being brought in fairly quickly. Just watch your watering. Too much, and let's just say I've learned the hard way..........

 

[GeorgeHaddaway]

Thanks for the info, guys! We will definitely go with a less expensive one to start off with.

 

[Colorado]

Can’t tell if you just moved to Crested from another place in CO, or from out of state, but regardless...welcome! To the best state around

Put that bougie out in full sun during the summer!

 

[atlarsenal]

I don’t think a bougie is going to work in Crested Butte without a lot of hassle. I would think about something more suitable for your climate.

 

[rodeolthr]

I've seen people in cold climates keep them successfully as house plants. In Colorado you have the added benefit of tons of sunlight year-round, even in winter. Having grown these plants in the low desert of Palm Springs, I can add that they will take as much heat as you can give them, and constantly amaze me with just how drought tolerant they are in the landscape.

 

[GeorgeHaddaway]

I am still thinking of getting one and keeping a grow light over it. If I keep a grow light over it 24/7, along with additional sunlight, will it still flower?

 

[atlarsenal]

I will wish you good luck. You should not give it light 24/7. Plants need a break from the light. I bring my boogies in for the winter when the nighttime temps get to around 55 degrees. They go under a grow light for 16 hours a day. Here is a website that might be of help, https://www.bonsaihunk.us/info/SecretsImp.html

 

[GeorgeHaddaway]

The issue is, in the summer the nighttime temps get colder than that sometimes. So, is it possible to keep it indoors permanently?

 

[atlarsenal]

I believe you could keep it alive under correct lighting but will it thrive? I don’t know. Nothing beats the light of the sun.

 

[bonsaichile]

The issue is, in the summer the nighttime temps get colder than that sometimes. So, is it possible to keep it indoors permanently?

it might not flower. they can be finicky that way. Mine hasnt flowered in two years, ans I believe it is because I still need to find the right watering schedule for it and because I cannot give it more than 6 hours of sunlight a day.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I found without grow lights my bougie got long internodes during winter. I added a grow cart and that corrected it. I have two huge skylights and windows. And still needed grow lights. But it didn't die without them. Just in our hobby you want tight internodes. Things brought in with some cold nights. Been doing the two step.

 

[bonsaichile]

I found without grow lights my bougie got long internodes during winter. I added a grow cart and that corrected it. I have two huge skylights and windows. And still needed grow lights. But it didn't die without them. Just in our hobby you want tight internodes. Things brought in with some cold nights. Been doing the two step.
View attachment 256698

that is one nice room, Darlene!

 

[Cadillactaste]

that is one nice room, Darlene!

Thanks!

 

[Forsoothe!]

Internode length is controlled, or not, by you. They are vines. They put out one bull cane at a time unless or until you stifle their growth to the point where they inflate all buds available simultaneously. Your job is to not let any internode get longer than you want it. When a cluster of leaves begins to extend, the first set of leaves extends with a long, straight internode. The second set of leaves will follow with an long, straight internode, and all the rest will do the same thing, one at a time, one after another. When you see the first set begin to extend, pinch it off. That will stop the extension of that whole cluster. It will happen again and again, one at a time. Sooner or later, all the buds available will inflate clusters of leaves simultaneously and all will be compact. They flower at the tips of each cluster of leaves, so the tips that you pinch off will not bloom. Small price to pay for a compact "vine". You have to be vigilant and have patience and prevent the plant from reverting to type, which is, "Avast! I am vine and I want to climb."

 

[Carol 83]

You could probably keep it alive under grow lights, but it won't thrive like it would outside in the sun. I've had them bloom in the winter but nothing like they do outside.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I happen to live where bougainvillea grow freely in landscape and I have to say... I kinda don't like them Let's face it, they are a thorny vine that, with constant attention, you can beat into a thorny hedge. Perhaps I wouldn't feel this way if I wasn't constantly battling with them (they will throw 8-12' thorny runners in all directions if you let them).

Yes they can look beautiful if you trim them at the right time, and get all of the branch tips to push bracts all at once. But to do this, you have to trim the long runners before they become long runners, so that they will develop fine ramification. And if you don't have hot conditions with lots of direct sun they will pout and throw leggy growth. They don't even like partial shade down here. I have a bush next to my koi pond that gets a little shade from a Canary date palm... and though it grows I never get any color from it. I personally think trying to grow a bougainvillea bonsai in anything other than perfect tropical conditions would be an exercise in futility.



Let me edit this to say... rather than "I don't like them" I think you can find many other flowering / colorful bonsai that you can keep in your setting that will cause you less grief, and give you more pleasure.

If you want flowers, go for Japanese azaleas or Chinese quince. If you want fruit... and want to travel down the rabbit hole... go for the holy grail.... princess persimmon You could probably also keep golden bean kumquat.

 

[Carol 83]

I happen to live where bougainvillea grow freely in landscape and I have to say... I kinda don't like them Let's face it, they are a thorny vine that, with constant attention, you can beat into a thorny hedge. Perhaps I wouldn't feel this way if I wasn't constantly battling with them (they will throw 8-12' thorny runners in all directions if you let them).

Yes they can look beautiful if you trim them at the right time, and get all of the branch tips to push bracts all at once. But to do this, you have to trim the long runners before they become long runners, so that they will develop fine ramification. And if you don't have hot conditions with lots of direct sun they will pout and throw leggy growth. They don't even like partial shade down here. I have a bush next to my koi pond that gets a little shade from a Canary date palm... and though it grows I never get any color from it. I personally think trying to grow a bougainvillea bonsai in anything other than perfect tropical conditions would be an exercise in futility.

View attachment 256723

How can you kinda' not like that?

 

[GeorgeHaddaway]

Will the azalea work in my setting? I thought they were an outdoor only tree.