From our perspective as Bougainvillea, climbing is not a choice; it is an expression of our nature. We are not true vines that possess tendrils or twining stems. Instead, we are vigorous, woody shrubs whose long, pliable canes seek the sun. Our growth pattern is called scandent. We do not actively "grasp" a surface but rather grow over and through anything in our path, using our sharp, sturdy thorns as anchors to secure ourselves against wind and gravity. Our primary motivation is light. We will instinctively grow towards the brightest area, and a vertical structure like a trellis or wall simply becomes the most efficient pathway to reach that vital energy source.
Your intervention is crucial for the specific, aesthetically pleasing result you desire. Left to our own devices, we would become a large, tangled, and sprawling thicket. Your guidance helps direct our energy. When you gently tie our young, green canes to the trellis using soft, flexible plant ties, you are creating a framework for us. It is important that these ties are not too tight, as they must allow for our natural thickening growth without cutting into our bark. This initial support teaches our canes the direction of travel. As we mature, our thorns and secondary lateral branches will help us hold ourselves in place against the structure you have provided.
As we grow, our thorns are our primary tools. They are not weapons but hooks. As our canes are swayed by the wind or as we add new growth, these thorns catch on the tiny imperfections of a wooden trellis or the mortar between bricks on a wall. Each small catch provides a point of leverage, allowing us to push ourselves further upward and outward. We will send out new lateral shoots from nodes along the main guided canes. These laterals will also seek light and will themselves need to be gently woven through or tied to the support structure to create a fuller, more dense coverage. This process is a conversation between your guidance and our innate growth impulse.
To perform this task effectively, we require specific resources from you. First and foremost is sunlight. We need a minimum of six hours of full, direct sun daily to produce the energy required for such vigorous growth. Secondly, we require the right nutrients. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied during our active growing season fuels our rapid vertical and lateral expansion. Pruning is also a form of communication. After a flush of blooms, if you tip-prune our longer canes, it signals us to branch out laterally instead of continuing to grow just vertically, creating a denser cover on your trellis. Finally, consistent water, especially when we are young and establishing our root system, is essential for supporting this ambitious upward journey.
