If you want a flowering vine that tops 15 to 30 feet, bougainvillea may be the perfect choice for your garden. If, however, your bougainvillea is bigger than anticipated, or you’re ready to redesign your landscape, you can remove it. The larger the bougainvillea, the more labor intensive the project will be. The easiest way to remove a vine such as bougainvillea is to kill it first. Otherwise, you could deal with regrowth for years to come.
Cut your bougainvillea down, leaving stumps that stand 2 to 3 inches above ground. Start near the top and work your way down the vine, discarding branches onto a tarp or wheel barrel for easy collection. As you get closer to the base of the plant, you will probably need loppers or a pruning saw. Ideally, do this cutting during active growth, typically in the spring, summer and fall months.
Apply a post-emergent herbicide directly on the cut stumps. The stumps must be freshly cut -- within 5 to 10 minutes -- for the herbicide to be effective. Choose a ready-to-use herbicide, such as an 8 to 10 percent concentrate of triclopyr or glyphosate, available at most garden centers. Herbicides labeled as brush killers that contain glyphosate also work well. Paint the herbicide directly on the stumps with a paintbrush, being careful not to touch nearby growth of desirable plants.
Reapply the herbicide if the bougainvillea resprouts. Wait until the leaves of the new growth grow to full size, then spray the same herbicide you used on the stumps directly onto the leaves. You can also recut the stumps and paint on another application of the herbicide when new growth occurs. You know your bougainvillea is dead if it does not put forth new growth the next growing season.
Remove the stumps and the root ball after your bougainvillea is completely dead. Dig around the plant, staying about 6 inches out from the stumps. Dig 8 to 12 inches deep, then cut under with a sharp garden spade and lift. This will remove the bulk of the root ball so you can grow new plants in the same spot.
Things You Will Need
- Pruning shears
- Loppers or pruning saw
- Post-emergent herbicide
- Wear protective clothing when working with herbicides.
- If you are using a spray herbicide, do so on a day with little to no wind. You can also temporarily cover nearby plants with a sheet or cardboard box to protect them.
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