Is Bougainvillia invasive?

Discussion in 'Vines and Climbers' started by William Cutler, Jan 12, 2010.

  1. William Cutler

    William Cutler Member

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    Location:
    Palo Alto, California, USA
    I live in a condo and have Bougainvillia growing next to a fence and the stucco side of the building. The Home Owners' Association has asked me to remove the plant because they fear it is invasive and could damage the fence or building structure. Is this true?

    William Cutler
     
  2. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Victoria Australia [cool temperate]
  3. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    Location:
    Nottingham England
    Its as invasive as you allow it to be, if you prune it as Liz says then it shouldnt be a problem, it can make a fantastic display on the side of wall.
     
  4. bjo

    bjo Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    algarve portugal
    Hi,

    we have several Bougainvillea, two were planted right next to the house probably ~ 20 years ago . One has a trunk the thickness of my arm and is no problem. The other one was clearly happier and more rampant and in recent years has required heavy pruning each year. This one had a trunk almost 30cm ( 1 foot) in diameter. This did cause problems interfering with gutters, damaging roof tiles and causing a crack in a tiled patio. Sadly (it was a great sight in full flower), we had to remove it. However, I think the damage to the patio would be an unusual problem - we have a clay soil which is liable to shrink in summer and cause cracks anyway. It was planted within inches of the wall and patio and with an open soil area of only a couple of square feet or so- poor plant -the roots had to go somewhere. I think that if throughout it's life it had been pruned to keep it a manageable size, then no damage would have occured. So in my opinion, if your Bougainvillea is properly managed it should be no problem.

    Good Luck
    Brian
     

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