As a bougainvillea, my vibrant bracts and lush growth are a testament to warmth and sun. My cellular structure is designed for a Mediterranean or tropical climate, not for the harsh, crystalline intrusion of ice. When temperatures plummet, my very life force is at risk. Protecting me is a matter of understanding my biological needs and acting decisively to mitigate the shock of cold.
I am not frost-hardy. My sap, the water within my cells, is susceptible to freezing. When ice crystals form inside my tissues, they rupture cell walls—a catastrophic injury from which I cannot recover. This damage first appears on my most tender parts: the new leaves, flower bracts, and stem tips. They will turn black and wilt. A severe freeze will damage my woody stems and can even kill my entire root system if left unprotected. My roots, confined in a pot, are especially vulnerable as they have no insulating ground soil to protect them and are exposed to freezing air on all sides.
The most effective action you can take is to move my container. As soon as frost or freezing temperatures are forecast, I need to be brought indoors or into a fully sheltered space. An ideal location is a garage, garden shed, sunroom, or even a brightly lit basement. This space does not need to be heated like your living room, but it must stay above freezing. The goal is to keep me dormant, not actively growing. A cool environment between 40-50°F (4-10°C) is perfect. It signals to me that it is time to rest, conserving my energy for the return of spring.
If relocation is absolutely impossible, you must create a protective microclimate around me. Group my pot with other container plants; our collective mass will radiate a small amount of heat. Move me tight against a building's foundation, preferably on a south-facing wall, which will absorb daytime heat and radiate it back at night. Then, you must insulate me. Wrap the entire pot—my lifeline—with several layers of bubble wrap, burlap, or old blankets. This is critical to protect my roots. For my upper parts, drape a frost cloth or blanket over my canopy, ensuring it extends to the ground to trap geothermal heat. Never use plastic sheeting alone; it touches my foliage and transfers the cold directly, creating a worse situation.
Once the freeze has passed, you must assess me carefully. Do not prune any damaged growth immediately. Those blackened leaves and stems, while unsightly, actually serve as a protective layer against the next potential cold snap. Wait until the true danger of frost has passed and new growth begins to emerge in spring. Then, you can prune back the dead wood to live tissue. Be patient with my recovery. I will need time to channel energy into new growth. Resume watering very cautiously, as my reduced foliage will require far less water until I actively begin growing again.
