Which bougainvillea do you all prefer and why?

[electraus]

I’ve been trying to source a bougie for about a week and finally found a vendor. These are all pictures that were sent to me. I selected the ones I liked most out of the bunch and would love to know which one you all like the most and why. I’m mostly asking this for the why part. I’m trying to get better at recognizing the features that I should be looking for on mature stock. Thanks in advance!

 

[Carol 83]

If I had to pick one, I guess it would be the first one but I don't like those thick branches on either side towards the bottom. The second one is OK too, without that fat branch in the front. If they are really expensive, I wouldn't pick any of them. Just me.

 

[electraus]

If I had to pick one, I guess it would be the first one but I don't like those thick branches on either side towards the bottom. The second one is OK too, without that fat branch in the front. If they are really expensive, I wouldn't pick any of them. Just me.

Could you let me know the last four characters of the image ID you’re seeing as first and second trees? I can’t quite find the lower branches you’re talking about for the first one and the one with a fat branch in the front appears as the fourth one for me.

I’m not sure how much they are. I asked earlier today but they were already closed, so I’ll find out tomorrow. I also asked for different angles on a few of them to see if there’s a better front (the one with the fat branch included).

 

[Firstflush]

I know you aren’t asking but bougies should be like weeds in San Jose. Thought about approaching any landowners.
Offer a 5 gallon replacement and a few bucks.

 

[electraus]

I know you aren’t asking but bougies should be like weeds in San Jose. Thought about approaching any landowners.
Offer a 5 gallon replacement and a few bucks.

I keep hearing this but I’ve yet to see a single bougie anywhere. Then again, I live in a townhouse complex and no one has a yard. Just balconies.

 

[Srt8madness]

If you're looking at a basically developed tree, get the one you like the looks of best. It's your tree and your money after all.

 

[LuZiKui]

I like that one with the lighter colored flowers, 6B42. I feel like you see a lot of the darker colored bougies but not the lighter ones. That one has good movement and decent taper for a bougie. Curious what the costs are for these?

And to echo @Firstflush if you can find someone who wants to get rid of a bougie they are super easy to propagate. Basically stick any part of a stump or thick branch in dirt and they'll grow. Granted I know you're looking for developed bougies but if you can find an old plant you can get tons of 2"-3" trees out of it basically for free.

 

[electraus]

I like that one with the lighter colored flowers, 6B42. I feel like you see a lot of the darker colored bougies but not the lighter ones. That one has good movement and decent taper for a bougie. Curious what the costs are for these?

And to echo @Firstflush if you can find someone who wants to get rid of a bougie they are super easy to propagate. Basically stick any part of a stump or thick branch in dirt and they'll grow. Granted I know you're looking for developed bougies but if you can find an old plant you can get tons of 2"-3" trees out of it basically for free.

I also really like 6B42, but it turned out to also carry quite the price tag ($625). My second choice was D671 and that one is only $325. Might have to go with that one.

Since you seem to have at least some experience with bougies, do you know if it’s possible to reduce leaf size? My only concern with D671 is that it has really big leaves. Is leaf reduction possible?

How would you recommend I go about finding someone with a bougie they want to get rid of? I don’t know anyone who has a backyard, so friends are not an option. Is there anywhere people would post something like that?

 

[electraus]

If you're looking at a basically developed tree, get the one you like the looks of best. It's your tree and your money after all.

Good point. Think I need to study pictures of developed bonsai a little more in order to better train my eye.

 

[LuZiKui]

I also really like 6B42, but it turned out to also carry quite the price tag ($625). My second choice was D671 and that one is only $325. Might have to go with that one.

Since you seem to have at least some experience with bougies, do you know if it’s possible to reduce leaf size? My only concern with D671 is that it has really big leaves. Is leaf reduction possible?

How would you recommend I go about finding someone with a bougie they want to get rid of? I don’t know anyone who has a backyard, so friends are not an option. Is there anywhere people would post something like that?

Ooooweeee, $625 is pretty steep for my blood. D671 is a cool tree too but $325 still ain't cheap. Only issue I see with 671 is that it's literati style which I think are a trickier style to maintain (depending on your skill level). The leaves should reduce if you defoliate and prune but with a smaller amount of foliage due to it being literati that might be a challenge. Can I ask, do you have some experience with them?

As for finding bougies, that's a good question. Are you a part of your local bonsai club out there? I highly, highly recommend doing that. You get to meet other like minded people and I'm sure someone up there can help you locate some. Other than that, I think you could try putting up something on craigslist or facebook asking if anyone has bougies they are getting rid of. Additionally, you may try a landscaping company or tree removal company. I'm sure they are removing them all the time. Only other option is just driving neighborhoods in the summer looking for those beautiful "flowers". Otherwise, without the flowers it's hard to tell them apart from any other shrub.

 

[electraus]

Ooooweeee, $625 is pretty steep for my blood. D671 is a cool tree too but $325 still ain't cheap. Only issue I see with 671 is that it's literati style which I think are a trickier style to maintain (depending on your skill level). The leaves should reduce if you defoliate and prune but with a smaller amount of foliage due to it being literati that might be a challenge. Can I ask, do you have some experience with them?

As for finding bougies, that's a good question. Are you a part of your local bonsai club out there? I highly, highly recommend doing that. You get to meet other like minded people and I'm sure someone up there can help you locate some. Other than that, I think you could try putting up something on craigslist or facebook asking if anyone has bougies they are getting rid of. Additionally, you may try a landscaping company or tree removal company. I'm sure they are removing them all the time. Only other option is just driving neighborhoods in the summer looking for those beautiful "flowers". Otherwise, without the flowers it's hard to tell them apart from any other shrub.

I have one bougie but it was from my very early days when I was still buying “rock junipers” from Eastern Leaf for $40 and thinking it was a steal. So it’s just a stick in a bonsai container that I’ve been allowing to grow and cut back as necessary. Never actually tried styling it because I kinda resent the thing for how much it costed me.

I just moved to San Jose. The closest bonsai club to me before was a 45 minute drive so I never joined. Joining Midori here in SJ has been on my to-do list for a couple of months now

 

[Colorado]

I like D671. I don’t think that price tag is unreasonable. It’s got a nice trunkline.

 

[electraus]

I like D671. I don’t think that price tag is unreasonable. It’s got a nice trunkline.

Yeah. The price tag isn’t bad imo. I really do like 6B42 because of the base, the movement, and taper, but it is quite expensive. I had set aside around $600 for this purchase initially, but seeing as though 671 is almost half that amount and still a really nice tree, I’m not sure how justifiable spending the full $600 is anymore.

 

[Carol 83]

Could you let me know the last four characters of the image ID you’re seeing as first and second trees? I can’t quite find the lower branches you’re talking about for the first one and the one with a fat branch in the front appears as the fourth one for me.

I’m not sure how much they are. I asked earlier today but they were already closed, so I’ll find out tomorrow. I also asked for different angles on a few of them to see if there’s a better front (the one with the fat branch included).

8D93 and 3A6F.

 

[yashu]

I’d choose D671 but they’re all too much imo for such a common plant with little to no styling.

 

[Lorax7]

The purple one. Because it’s purple.

 

[Carol 83]

The purple one. Because it’s purple.

I believe that's my line....

 

[OTown]

FWIW...I'm with Firstflush. There are bougainvillea in the Bay Area (I'm from Oakland aka O-Town) you just have to look a little. I would post on Next Door and see if someone want's to part with a bigger one. We do that here in Florida and it typically leads to someone wanting to pay you just to take the thing away!