I've inspected all my other plants and this bouggie seems to be the only one affected. What is it and what should I do to get rid of it?

36 views in four days and not one reply?

I found the answer in another forum:

No, this is not unique to bougainvilleas. It was just dumb luck that only one of the plants in my garden was affected.

What's affecting it: mealybugs.

How to get rid of them: 1 part 70% isopropyl alcohol, 5 parts of water, a few drops of soap. First I removed by hand all the bracts that had the mealybugs, then I sprayed stems, leaves, and bracts with the alcohol mix, in the early evening. This did not damage the bracts. I will continue to spray the plant until I see no signs of mealybugs.

I think the reason for no replies is that none of us have ever seen mealies on a bougie. That's very strange, but I hope you've eradicated them.

Hi Karen,

I don't think I have yet but I'll keep at it. Bougies are tough plants, aren't they? One of mine has lots of yellow leaves. It's planted right next to another bougie that doesn't have any yellow leaves. I think that the very wet winter has affected my plants differently, for some reason. They all are putting on new growth and two of them are covered in bracts (the one with the mealybugs looks splendid, btw) so I'm not worried.

The lack of replies is frustrating. Even a comment saying "that looks like a mealybug but I've never seen them on bougies" helps because it keeps the thread active and visible to other people who may be familiar with the problem.

Apropos: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogco... (Bougainvillea mealybug in Los Angeles County)

I have 2 Bougainvilleas, 1 vining and 1 bush, both young plants (maybe 3 years old). I have not seen mealy bugs on either one. Maybe it is because those small green worms (i call them inch worms, don't recall the scientific name) ate most of the plants when my back was turned. The good news is the plants immediately started putting out new growth. If i do get mealies on the plants i will spray with soapy water.