Wisteria vs. Bougainvillea Maintenance in Palm Desert

Gardener loves 3×/year blooming wisteria, wants to replace bougainvillea with it in Palm Desert. More maintenance?

Answer

Yes, wisteria needs more attention. Standard: prune twice yearly:

1. August: shorten side shoots to 4 buds after first flush.
2. February: shorten same shoots to 2 buds.

But if your wisteria blooms 3× happily—keep doing what you're doing! Bougainvillea is lower maintenance.