Bougainvillea is my example of a plant that thrives on a form of benign neglect and does not typically need coddling. First of all, they do not need rich soils to do best but thrive in low fertility soils that are not too moist, and dry between waterings. I would not recommend feeding it al all. Is it possible your plant was planted too deep? How is the drainage where it is planted? They will not tolerate saturated soils.

@Jurassic Park I don't know if it was planted too deep? This tree has been there for a long time from what I have gathered through google map etc. In April, I recently purchased this house, and I noticed the trees and plants (roses, for example) had not been fed. So they all look healthy now that I have been feeding them, but this tree does not look so healthy. Maybe when we have a dryer season, it will start looking better? Have no idea, lol.

Also, lately, we have been getting a lot of rain here in South Florida, so I think that maybe that is it?

There are gorgeous examples of these in California, Spain, Italy, Israel and much of the Mediterranean where Summers are hot and DRY. I have one in a container that I season outside in a humid, WET Summer, it hardly flowers. In the Fall, I would bring it to work in an eastern exposure with huge windows but only AM sun. I would forget about watering it and NEVER feed it and it would be covered with flowers by January. Yes, super wet soils could do this and may find it looking better in the dryer season. Good luck!

Bear in mind also that it isn’t actually a tree. It’s a scrambling vine so unless it’s pruned it’s going to be lax and lanky.

based on how old the trunk looks.. i doubt however it was planted makes any difference at all ....

UNLESS .. the soil was raised for some reason.. but that would have been a significant addition to the height across its entire root mass.. which should be rather significant ...

i agree ... its a plant.. not a child.. it does not need to be fed constantly ... and as such.. i dont know what you are going to do with the rest of your giant jug ...

the fence look either new.. or freshly painted... could it have been abused during such an event ...??

i wish i knew how to tell you to renovate it ... there are giant wounds on the trunk ... and it seems to me.. you should be able to encourage it to resprout from very down low.. so as to basically grow a younger more vibrant plant ... lets see if the www will help you there:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Bougainvillea+plant+renovation&t=ffcm&ia=web

i am surprised there are no videos ... but read thru many of the links to learn all about it ...

i am also surprised its in the greater 4 oclock family .. i guess we know where the flower color genes came from ... i never noticed they both have that neon pink flower color ... go figure ...

ken

Agree with Margaritaville. These are a very common plant around here, and the very best and healthiest flowering examples are those that get little or no water or fertiliser, are grown in the poorest soils, in the hottest, driest aspect with full sun and glare. It's commonly said that they thrive on neglect, and in my experience, this is true.

also spotted the brick patio ... how new is that???

@floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK Now that I know it is a vine, I will see about giving it a prune and stop fertilizing it.

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 The fence was freshly painted prior to me moving there. So I don't know if it go abused during that time. I don't think so? The brick patio was there just as long as that tree. I believe the previous owner was there for 5 years, and it was already there when they moved.

I will research the future on how to do a Bougainvillea plant renovation.

Thanks everyone for your feedback and help. I will see how I can bring this vine back. Bougainvillea is one of my favorite vines, and I really want to save it.

Just as an aside, and I'm sure most experienced plant people know this, but those lurid, bright floral displays are not the actual flowers. They are the bracts that surround the tiny, insignificant white flowers.

yeah... like a poinsettia .... one of the garden mysteries that always fascinates me ... get strange looks form peeps when i stop to look at the mini actual flowers ...

i wonder... is this why the 'flower' display seems to linger as compared to more ephemeral actual flowers.. which tend to be short lived??

the is an oddity for us up north peeps ... i actually grew one as a houseplant for a year or two .. in a hanging basket ... before it gave up the spirit ... i dont know if i killed it ... lost interest.. or it just wasnt suited to such with my forced air winter furnace .. regardless.. it was a pleasant experiment.. but i was over that by the end ...

ken