The Season of Bougainvillea in San Francisco
S.an Francisco is a city in which small nests of beauty existS.t around every corner. I’ve lived here for five years – having previously moved from Austin, the scenic Texas hill country – and I’m still overwhelmed by the city’s great appeal. (That doesn’t mean there aren’t any more issues here to shake with a six-foot stick; misplaced trash is still fucking everywhere.)
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As a native Texan, I am used to the year fluctuating between two seasons: half the year when it is green and lively, and the other of the year when it is brown and dead. Bluebonnets and other wildflowers bloom in the state, helping to add much-needed pops of color to the otherwise barren hillsides. But it’s still a pretty cheap proposition. And not even the densest bluebonnet field can be compared to an Edwardian house in San Francisco drenched in blooming bougainvillea in the summer.
Described by gardeners as a tropical vine-like shrub, bougainvillea is incredibly drought tolerant, loves the sun, and grows effortlessly in mild winter areas of California – like San Francisco. Bougainvillea plants are vigorous growers and often overtake anything they cling to if not kept in check; Adult plants can reach heights of over 20 meters (with adequate support). Because they are perennials, their colors stay bright most of the year. However, bougainvillea really comes to life through the summer with its pink and purple pantones.
There are an estimated 20 varieties of bougainvillea in the Bay Area, the colors of which range from print paper white to deep yellow and are common in local nurseries. In actual SF, the purple, pink, and magenta varieties seem to be most prominent – types that can be found in the Sloat Garden Center. However, you will have a hard time finding a local garden shed that doesn’t carry bougainvillea … but make sure you don’t leave without first speaking to a member of the staff about how to look after your particular type.
(Fun fact: since bougainvilleas produce almost no fragrance, bougainvilleas produce sweet nectar, which primarily attracts butterflies, moths and hummingbirds to feast and helps the plants with pollination. Bees are not good pollinators for the plant, however.)
photo: Courtesy of Instagram via
allmyheartin.sf
San Francisco has an interesting relationship with the ubiquitous vine. On the one hand, they seem a bit neighborhood-specific.
While you will have a hard time seeing their growth in SoMa or the Tenderloin, for example, bougainvillea blankets are commonplace in the Mission District and Noe Valley. Haigh-Ashbury and Castro are also painted with these robust, colorful tendrils; The Marina and Cow Hollow are also famous for their “bougainvillea houses”.
Are they potted placeholders that signal gentrification? Somehow, yes.
It would be negligent not to say that most of San Francisco’s bougainvilleas now encompass areas that have displaced working classes and BIPOC communities in recent decades.
photo: Courtesy of Instagram via
allmyheartin.sf
Are they more of a sign of sunny, temperate conditions? Yes, of couse.
There’s a reason bougainvillea thrives in areas of SF that receive strong direct sunlight and where Karla the Fog isn’t as intrusive.
No matter where (or when) you come across bougainvillea in the city, look the other way. There’s a reason these creepers end up blooming all over your social media feeds.
