Any idea why my bougainvilleas turned brown? Anything I can do to save them? I’ve had them for a couple of years and this is the first time this happened. No changes in light exposure or water quantity. I live in SoCal and we’ve had temperatures of 30 at night in the past couple of weeks, so not sure if that has anything to do with it. Please help!
Bougainvilleas don't handle freezing temperatures very well. It is likely they were damaged by that. I do not have experience with bougainvillea, as I have never lived in a warm climate, but I see it growing in Arizona, where temps go below freezing many winters, so it must survive. People do cover the plants there when frost is forecast though. Hopefully your plant will regenerate.
Wow. They look very sick. 0 degrees celsius is very cold for bougainvillea. If it wasn't frosty then they may not recover. The sap freezes, expands and spilts the branches Gently run your thumb nail on a main branch or trunk. If the wood is still green then it should bud up and grow. Don't prune until it starts to grow away then just remove the dead wood. If you get regular cold winter temps then consider planting on a south facing masonry wall. The warmth from the wall will keep it comfortable during the cold
My bougainvillea got frosted this year. It is potted and in an Unheated sun room. I thought I’d lost it but I cut it back and it’s got lots of new growth. I see yours are outside, so try cutting them back and check the trunk for bright light green new growth. And give it a good drink also. Hope this helps.
