With their showy trumpet-shaped blooms, mandevilla vines make a stunning statement in gardens and containers. While they were once only available as vining types breeders have expanded the offerings to include more compact, shrub-like varieties. If you love mandevillas, knowing the differences can help you pick the perfect one for your needs.
Traditional Vining Mandevillas
The mandevilla vines that first became popular offer lush, twining growth that needs support to climb. They quickly cover trellises, arbors, fences, and other structures with glossy leaves and abundant flowers. Some popular vining types include:
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Red – ‘Alice du Pont’ has bright crimson blooms. Grows 10-15 feet.
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Pink – ‘Pink Parfait’ features light pink flowers with yellow throats. Grows 15-20 feet.
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White – ‘Alba’ bears pristine white blooms contrasted by glossy deep green leaves. Grows to 20 feet.
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Giant Pink – ‘Giant Pink’ has enormous deep pink blooms. Vigorous grower to 25 feet.
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Yellow – ‘Sunmandecrim’ is covered in sunny lemon yellow flowers, Grows 15 feet tall
These vining mandevilla varieties bloom from spring through fall in ideal conditions. They require full sun, warm temperatures, and adequate water and fertilizer. In colder climates, vines are grown as annuals.
Newer Mounding Types
Breeders have introduced more compact mandevilla varieties that have a mounding, shrub-like habit instead of vining growth. These options don’t require trellising and work well in beds and borders. Some popular mounding mandevillas include
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‘Sun Parasol Garden Crimson’ – Deep red flowers on a 3 foot tall bush.
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‘Sun Parasol Stars and Stripes’ – Red and white striped blooms on 2-3 foot plants.
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‘Sun Parasol Pretty Pink’ – Clear pink blooms on a rounded 18-24 inch shrub.
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‘Sun Parasol Giant White’ – Huge white flowers on a 3 foot tall plant.
These sturdy, smaller varieties bloom continuously without pinching or deadheading. They tolerate heat, resist pests, and overwinter outdoors in zone 9-11. Give them full sun and regular water.
Using Mandevilla Effectively
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Grow vining types on obelisks, pergolas, mailbox posts, and other structures in beds or containers.
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Train vines on fences or walls for privacy screening.
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Feature mounding varieties in mixed beds and borders. Allow them to spill over edges of raised planters.
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Plant both forms in containers on decks, patios, and porches.
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Combine different mandevilla varieties for multi-colored effects.
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Overwinter vining mandevillas indoors in colder zones and set back outside after danger of frost.
Caring for Mandevillas
All mandevillas thrive with similar care:
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Site in full sun to light afternoon shade. Provide at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
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Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Establish a regular watering routine.
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Feed every 2-3 weeks during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
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Prune lightly to shape vines and shrubs. Remove spent blooms to encourage new flowers.
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Bring indoor before frost and maintain in a sunny window until spring.
With proper selection, placement, and care you can enjoy these flowering tropical beauties in gardens or containers. The choices now range from vining climbers to compact shrub forms.
Mandevilla and Dipladenia: Although similar flowers, one is vine, other is shrub
You may have heard of both Mandevilla and Dipladenia if you like flowers that look like trumpets. You may even have them in your garden. If you do, you probably realize they are very different, even if their blooms are a lot alike.
Dipladenia and Mandevilla are both great choices for Mississippi landscapes. Of the two, you can be sure that the summer flowers will be beautiful, but I think the Mandevilla flowers better.
People may sell these two plants as the same thing because their blooms look alike, but Mandevilla and Dipladenia grow in different ways. Mandevilla is vining, and Dipladenia is more shrub-like.
Both are great plants, but it’s a problem when gardeners buy the wrong one because it’s being sold as the other. It’s not good if you get a shrub instead of a vine at the garden center, so be careful when picking out one of these plants.
It’s been my experience that plants listed as Mandevilla often do not climb. I have fallen for this mistake in the past. There’s been some breeding work done with Mandevilla and Dipladenia, and there are hybrids found at garden centers. This may contribute to the problem.
Dipladenia, which rhymes with gardenia, has a shrub-like growing habit and does not climb. It works great as a filler in a combination basket or container because it doesn’t need any support.
I like Dipladenia better than Mandevilla because it has pretty flowers and you don’t have to worry about giving it something to climb. The flowers and foliage of Dipladenia are smaller than Mandevilla, but I feel this enhances their landscape value.
Keep consistent container moisture, but make sure it is well drained. Feed your Dipladenias every couple of weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer.
Sunlight encourages Dipladenia to bloom, and the plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. In very hot locations, partial shade helps prevent the leaves from getting scorched.
Mandevilla is a climber that wraps its growing stems around any support it can find. Make your own supports out of hardware cloth, plastic mesh, or other things that will give the plants something to climb on. These structures can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
These climbing vines grow and flower best when planted in full sun. They tolerate partial shade in hot locations, such as south-facing walls. To make sure the soil drains well, make sure the planting bed soil is full of organic matter. However, don’t let the soil dry out too much.
Mandevilla is very tolerant to pruning, and you can train the plant to grow in a shrub-like form. Flowers are produced on new growth, so there is little worry about pruning too much and eliminating blooms.
Mandevillas begin to flower in early summer and don’t quit until frost in the fall. They are tender plants usually killed by fall frosts. On occasion, they may grow back from the root system the following spring. Most gardeners simply treat Mandevilla as a flowering annual.
If you enjoy trumpet-shaped flowers, one of these plants will likely be a good addition to your landscape.
Mandevilla Varieties
FAQ
What’s the difference between mandevilla and dipladenia?
Are all mandevilla climbing?
Are there different varieties of mandevilla?
Is a mandevilla the same as a vining mandevilla?
What are Mandevilla plants?
Mandevilla plants, known for their vibrant blooms and climbing vines, are beloved additions to gardens worldwide. With numerous types and varieties, each offering distinct features and growing needs, mandevillas have captured the hearts of gardeners seeking to elevate their outdoor spaces.
How many types of Mandevilla are there?
There are more than 100 species within the Mandevilla genus. Some of the most popular for outdoor cultivation include: Mandevilla sanderi: Commonly known as Brazilian jasmine, this species of mandevilla is fast-growing, reaching up to 15 feet tall. It boasts twining, woody stems and large pink-red blooms.
Are Mandevilla vines annuals?
With huge tropical-looking flowers and evergreen glossy foliage, flowering mandevilla vines are perfect for a trellis, arbor, or post. While the plants are only cold-hardy in zones 9 and warmer, these brightly-hued blooms are enjoyed as annuals in the rest of North America. Today, mandevilla comes in two types: climbing and mounding.
Can Mandevilla be a houseplant?
Mandevilla is often called Chilean jasmine or rock trumpet. These beautiful vines can grow up to 20-feet long in zones 9 to 11. If you do not live in those zones, you can grow it as a houseplant. Mandevilla plants are heavy feeder who needs plenty of humidity. It prefers to be in the bright sun.
