How To Care For Mandevilla Plant

Mandevilla is the classic tropical vine. It has a rapid growth rate, enjoys the sun, and is eager to thread up any trellis or wall in order to produce a large number of brilliant flowers. Its brilliant red, pink, and white flowers provide patios, porches, and decks that are a long way from the ocean, a lush tropical vibe that can be achieved by growing Mandevilla in pots. Mandevilla is a popular choice for containers.

In order to successfully cultivate a Mandevilla plant, the following information is required.

Mandevilla 101

Mandevilla is a plant that is native to South and Central America. Henry Mandeville, an English diplomat, and amateur botanist, discovered this lovely flowering vine growing in the forests of Argentina in the late 1830s. He gave the plant its current name in honor of his discovery. He initially referred to it as Dipladenia and even sent a sample of it back to England; however, a few decades later, the plant's name was modified to honor him.

Since its introduction to gardens in Europe and the Americas over two centuries ago, Mandevilla has developed into a widely cultivated plant in both regions. It is cherished for many different reasons, including the following: Mandevilla requires little care, is resistant to disease and pests, grows quickly, and produces a large number of blooms. If you plant one in a container in April, it will grow into a towering vine that is covered in fragrant flowers for the entirety of the summer. It is possible to cultivate Mandevilla as a perennial in zones 9 to 11, where conditions are optimal for its growth, but the plant cannot survive temperatures below zero. Because of this, it is often cultivated as an annual in the majority of locations in the United States. You can save the life of your Mandevilla plant by bringing it inside for the winter if you reside in an area where the temperature drops below freezing.

• Botanical Name: Mandevilla spp
• Common Name: Mandevilla, rocktrumpet, Brazilian jasmine
• Bloom Time: Summer, fall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: Can be grown as an annual in colder regions; can be grown as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11.

Establishment Of Mandevilla

Full sun is ideal for the growth of Mandevilla. If you plant one in an area that receives fewer than six hours of direct sunshine every day, you won't see as many blossoms produced by it. During the summer afternoons, Mandevilla will not only endure but rather welcome some protection from the sun if you live in a hot location such as Phoenix or Austin. If you cultivate Mandevilla vines in a container, you can move the plant so that its leaves are protected from the sun by placing it under a patio roof or a tree that provides shade.

The soil in which Mandevilla is grown must have good drainage. They are susceptible to root rot in dense soil, and they prefer sandy environments that are rich in organic matter and are rather loose.

After planting, give the earth a good soaking, but don't let it become saturated. Mandevilla, in contrast to many other flowering plants, can endure dry conditions while still producing flowers. However, they do want a steady amount of moisture, so you shouldn't allow the soil to go completely dry in between waterings.

The Mandevilla plant looks fantastic when grown in containers. Plant a variety that produces vines in a container and then train the vines to climb a porch post or run along a balcony. Throughout the entire summer, you will be showered with waves of lustrous green foliage and beautiful flowers. Plant a shrubby variety of plants in a container that can be hung, and then suspend the container from the rafters of your front porch. Your outdoor space will have the appearance of a scene right out of the Caribbean if you plant flowering vines that trail over the sides of the container.

Mandevilla 'Sun Parasol Crimson. In container gardens, Mandevilla lends an air of the tropics to the setting. Some older forms are vining plants that can grow on trellises and mailboxes, but some modern varieties produce mounds instead and do not require any support to grow properly.

Taking Care Of The Mandevilla

At the very least once per year, Mandevilla vines need to be pruned in order to maintain their flowering and tidy appearance. Because of how quickly they develop, you're going to need to grab your clippers and prevent this baby from taking over the garden. That is, unless you, like Hilton Carter and I, want to dig gardens that give the appearance that nature rather than humans is in charge. The winter or the beginning of spring is the ideal time to prune Mandevilla because this is before the plant begins to blossom. Because Mandevilla flowers only appear on new growth, if you prune it too late in the season, you risk not getting any flowers. Never cut more than a third of the plant at a time when you're trimming it. In order to maintain the health of your Mandevilla, you should periodically prune away any branches that are damaged or infected.

The ideal conditions for Mandevilla are high humidity and warm temperatures. After all, the climate is tropical. The ideal environment for Mandevilla plants is one in which the low nightly temperature does not go below 40 degrees. They will perish in the event of a severe freeze. If they are contained in a container, move them inside. To ensure that your plants have the best possible quality of life, you should mist their leaves on a regular basis if you live in a dry area or if you are growing them inside. This will ensure that humidity levels remain high enough.

In the spring, fertilize your Mandevilla plant. Feed them before they start flowering because it takes a lot of nutrition for plants to produce flowers, and you want them to look their best. To ensure that your Mandevilla continue to look their best during the blooming season, you should treat them with a liquid fertilizer diluted by fifty percent every two weeks.

You should combine the compost with the soil. Your Mandevilla plants, regardless of whether they are growing in the ground or in a container, will do better if organic material is mixed into the dirt that they are growing in. The use of fertilizer is really beneficial, but there is simply no replacement for quality soil. You don't have a pile for composting, do you? Add leaf mold, wood chips, or worm casings to the soil in order to enrich it.

Insects And Pets Diseases

When cultivated outside in appropriate conditions, Mandevilla has a low risk of contracting diseases and being eaten by pests. However, if you bring Mandevilla indoors for the winter, it can become susceptible to whiteflies, aphids, scales, spider mites, and mealybugs. All of these pests feed on the plant's sap. When they are forced to spend months indoors, away from their natural environment, even the hardiest tropical plants might have trouble surviving. In the event that an infestation occurs on your Mandevilla, grab some neem oil or insecticidal soap and spray the plant's foliage and blooms with it until all of the insects have been removed. It will require a few attempts as well as some patience on your part.

Types Of Mandevilla That Are Recommended

In the beginning, all Mandeville was grown as climbing plants. However, horticulturists have developed more recent kinds that are shorter and bushier, which makes them more appropriate for growing in containers and hanging baskets. Mandevilla plants of an older generation typically have larger leaves with a more prickly appearance. Newer types of Mandevilla feature leaves that are glossier and narrower, which allows the Mandevilla blooms to take center stage. More than one hundred different species of Mandevilla exist. The following are some of our top picks:

The Mandevilla ‘Alice Dupont’

is a traditional climbing cultivar that is prized for the large, pink blooms and large, textured leaves it produces. Vine heights can reach up to 20 feet in some cases. It was named after Pierre S. du Pont's wife, who was a successful businessman during the Gilded Age and was responsible for the creation of Longwood Gardens outside of Philadelphia.

The 'Sun Parasol Crimson' Mandevilla 

is a red kind of Mandevilla that grows to a height of 15 feet and has crimson flowers that bloom on a semi-bushy plant. The Japanese business Suntory has created an entire series of Mandeville known as the Sun Parasol variety. The blooms on these Mandevilla range in color from white to dark scarlet.

The Mandevilla x Amabilis Variation Known As 'Pink Parfait'

 It is a climbing plant that produces double flowers in a light pink color. It can reach a height of 20 feet.

"Red Riding Hood" (Mandevilla Sanders) 

is a shorter, shrubbier plant that only climbs 12 feet tall. It features deep pink flowers with yellow throats, and the plant itself is shrubbier.

The Chilean Jasmine

On a vine that may grow up to five stories high, the Chilean jasmine, also known as Mandevilla laxa, bears white blossoms.

White Mandevilla

Also known as Mandevilla boliviensis, it is a plant that can reach a height of ten feet and has white flowers.