Renovating an Overgrown Bougainvillea: Hard Pruning a Woody Vine into Shape

Understanding Bougainvillea's Vine Habit

It's a woody vine, not a tree. Left unpruned, it becomes a thorny thicket.

Cut all growth back to ~2 feet. Select a main leader and 2–3 side leaders. Remove the rest.

Train leaders on the fence. Tie loosely. New growth will bloom.

Trim throughout the year to maintain shape. Safe to hard prune now if no hard frost before January.

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