Bougainvillea Sport

Here's a new one for us ... one of our Bougainvilleas has produced a branch of a different colour ...


I do have a tri-colour bonsai tree but that was obviously grafted so it's a puzzlement as to how this occurred. We've had this one for about 9/10 years, is about 4 meters tall and clambers through the almond tree.

Any thoughts?

 

What a lovely surprise Victoria. I think the essence of a sport is that it just happens by chance. If there is an error in replicating the DNA , when a cell divides, you can get nasty things like Cancer in humans, but you can also get other things like sports - its just one element of DNA that's got confused.


I found this example of fasciation on a Verbascum once - again just a bit of bad replication, which is then subsequently copied.

I think some plants like Pelargoniums quite often produce sports.

 

Hello Peter. Yes, we are actually delighted with it and hope it stays with it's 'parent' and climb with it!

I remember having a 'sport' once before and just found it in my picture gallery from ... a striped Verbena which produced a white stem ...

 

Sports are one of the sources of new cultivars. If you take a cutting from sport material, the cutting should be the same as the sport. Yours appears to be a lovely bright red - could it be a new shade, or do you see this colour commonly?

I can't crack this Bougainvillea thing at all. I have one that is about 6 feet tall, in its pot, and have kept it in my garden room so its reasonably warm, but there is no sign of any flowers yet. I suspect its hasn't had enough sun. I put it in what I thought was the sunniest corner, but now all the other plants have grown up and are shading most of it. Its got to get a bit taller for the top to be in sun for most of the day. Do they flower in the shade?

 

Good morning Peter.

Yes, Bougainvillea does flower in the shade. In fact the one above is in shade most of the day with some filtered morning sun on the lower section as in the photo.

I still find them a complete puzzlement as I also have a few that never or rarely flower. I think they need harsh pruning in order to bloom ... or that's what appears to happen on ones I see out and about. I don't harsh prune mine as we like them rambling so I just tidy up straggly ends. Our best one is still the one against the house ... it only gets morning / early afternoon sun ...



And this is the one with the sport climbing up the Almond tree and we are trying to arch it over the gates ...





Both photos are a couple of years old so they have since grown more.

 

Hi Victoria. Many thanks for the comment about flowering in shade - that's very helpful - and hopeful. That first picture of yours is brilliant. Your comment about pruning prompted me to find this on the net.

Bougainvillea are tropical plants that thrive in areas outdoors with low rainfall and intense heat. For maximum blooming, they need direct sunlight for at least 5 hours per day. For best results, night temperatures should stay above 60°F (15°C) while daytime temperatures can exceed 100°F (38°C) without ill effect. Bougainvillea thrives in Hardiness Zones 9 and up, but can be enjoyed seasonally in other zones as long as they are protected and brought indoors during winter months.

Avoid constant, light, and frequent watering as this will promote a weak and shallow root system and prevent any major coloring on your bougainvillea. Be careful not to allow your bougainvillea to sit in water as this may cause bracts to drop or stop blooming altogether.

Pruning is important not only for shape but for strength as well since bougainvillea tend to grow outward without creating branches unless their stems are pruned. They can be pruned hard if growth is excessive. The more regularly you pinch, the more your bougainvillea will branch and bloom. The best time to prune or pinch is after the flush of color or flowering cycle is completed. Flowering cycles are typically four to six weeks.

And this on another site - I suspect I may be overwatering.

If the plant is not blooming, cut back on watering for a few weeks. They naturally bloom in the spring and seem to bloom harder in drier years.

 

Hi Victoria, just noticed this thread.
I'd be inclined to leave the sport branch in place and perhaps mark it in some way so that you dont prune it off.
Then next year when its bigger you could try cuttings of it without totally removing the sport wood.

Peter, my Bougie is doing really well this year, the warm spell got it going, but I was leaving the hose under it on a few occasions when it was hot as the leaves were going limp.

I'm not sure about the spring flowering thing, that might apply to warm climates, mine has always started flowering late summer and gone on into Oct.
Its over run the Strelitzia and the Protea is barely visible.

 

Hiya Pete

We do plan to leave the 'sport' as is and hopefully it will climb along with its 'parent' in the arch we are creating over the gates.

Yours may be overtaking everything but it's looking lovely and lush ... well done!

 

Lovely Bougainvillea Pete - and what a healthy looking Strelitzia too.

I still can't believe that its all growing outside for you.