Mandevilla
Mandevilla tips and care
Mandevilla belongs to a large family that also includes plants that were formerly known as Dipladenia. It was named after a British diplomat/gardener Henry Mandeville. This exotic plant bears trumpet shaped flowers shades of pink, yellow and white (some fragrant) on twining vines with puckered, oval leaves.
This tropical plant is hardy (depending on cultivars) in zones 9-11 and therefore is for the most part of the U.S. treated as a houseplant. It is grown outdoors for the summer and in cold weather taken indoors to endure the winter.
Care
Outdoors: Mandevilla is cold sensitive and can be taken outdoors when the danger of frost has passed and overnight temperatures reach over 50ºF. It likes full sun to part shade in the summer and a deep rich, well-drained soil. It will also need a trellis to support its long trailing vines. Provide plenty of water during the hot days of summer. To keep a healthy blooming plant, feed it every other week with a high phosphorus fertilizer (10-20-10) in the spring and summer. In order to maintain the tangled growth during the season, pinch off new shoot tips which will produce a bushier plant. Trimming will not reduce flowering as it blooms on new growth. Use the cuttings to make new plants.
Propagation
It can be started from seed at temperatures of 70-80ºF. A faster way is to take cuttings in the spring and summer which will easily root and develop new plants.
Watch out for mealybugs, scales, whitefllies and red spider mites.
- Winterize Mandevilla I currently have a beautiful Mandevilla and would like to preserve it...
Whitefly
What are the white, flying bugs that look kind of like aphids? Are they aphids and how do I get rid of them? Also, what kind of damage do they do to Mandevillas? Thank you, Christa
Yellow leaf drop
Regarding the Mandevilla - I live in Dana Point, California right on the coast. It’s temperate here and never drops below 50 degrees. Still, my plant leaves are getting sparse and yellow. What should I do?
I know this is going to strike you as funny but my husband has a goat that keeps eating the ends of my mandevilla vine. what can I do to stop this? (short of shooting the goat)
I have a new arbor and would love to plant mandevilla on either side. Due to limited space, I am wondering if I can plant them in a ‘window box’ container which is about 4″ deep alongside each side of the arbor. Suggestions?
Ants on plant
My mandevilla has tiny ants all over the leaves and the blooms and also yellow stuff, kind of looks like very tiny eggs.
Yellow leaves
My mandevillahas lots of yellow leaves on the lower mature vines. It is outside in partial shade and gets all the Florida thunderstorms…sun after 2 pm! This began immediately after purchase and repotting..It is growing great but leaf loss is increasing..
I also have mandevillas that are turning brown and dying. I have already lost two this summer and two more that are dying. The leaves turn brown mostly on the tips and outer edges first then move to the whole leaf. Some of the flower buds also turn brown. They also have long shoots with no leaves or flowers. They have done well in past years.
Tonya
Never had a problem with my mandevilla before but we have had several days around 95F (gets afternoon sun) so I increased my watering to everyday instead of every other and now the unopened buds are falling off. Is it too much heat/sun or too much water?
I am trying to find some photos of a Mandevilla. We have a vine with large red flowers and have been told it is a Mandevilla but the only info I can find tells me the Mandevilla is pink or white. Please help
speed up flowering
I have a question on flowering of the mandevilla. This is my third year with the plant, I have done everything that you suggested when it comes to winter storage and fertilizing. I live in Ontario, Canada and wanted to know if there is any way to speed up the flowering. I know the flowers come from the heat. It seems like my flowers really on come in August-September I was wondering is there any way to get flowering going earlier… say late June?
Thanks Paul
Epsom salt
I had inquired about a beautiful Mandevillea and was told that Epson salt was scratched in the soil that made it look so pretty. I was wondering if you heard anything about this trick?
Not blooming
We received a mandevilla last summer, put it in the ground at our NJ home, and watched it bloom prolifically. We brought it inside in the fall, and it sent up new shoots about February. After the last frost, we moved it to the same outdoor spot it was in last year. Though it has grown well since then, it hasn’t bloomed. Please advise. JS
Jeanette Johnson
My mandevilla appears to be growing healthy and happy. I have it in a sunny location, out doors. I am feeding it a liquid feed three times per week, Miracle Grow All Purpose 24-8-16. I am getting no flowers. How come?
Propagate mandevilla
I have heard you can pick off part of the Mandavilla and start new ones but I have tried this and in a day or two they are dead. What am I doing wrong? I have about 20 planted on my retaining wall and they are beautiful growing down the wall but I have to buy new ones every year as all do not come back after winter. It is too hard digging them up out of the wall to take them inside. I would like to start new ones from the existing ones to fill in the spaces.
Mandevilla seeds
I am trying to start Mandevilla from seed. My question is…Does the seed come from the end of the stem at the base of the bloom ? Is it a single seed or a cluster of 8 or 10 seeds? If it is 8 or 10 tiny pin head size seeds, that have a hair-like tail, do I leave the tail on when I plant the seeds. OR…Do the seeds grow separately in a stalk-like pod ?
Thank you, Howard
lisa cox ( hmbcox@aol.com / )
one of our mature plants has suddenly stopped blooming. also is growing prong looking things, like long skinny fingers. it isn’t producing any new growth and some of the leaves have small brown spots. no signs of bugs. the plant next to it is very green and blooming. got any ideas? we are in the san antonio area. thanks lisa
thanks
Poisonous
Are Mandevilla plants poisonous for dogs if they chew on it.
Thanks, Sharon
This is the first year I’ve had my Mandevilla plant. I pruned it back and brought it inside for the winter here in New York. My question is: is the Mandevilla plant harmful to my cat? She has taken a great interest in it, and is attempting to eat the leaves.
I live in Santa Monica, CA. I would like to plant Mandevilla on a trellis that is 15 feet high. It gets partial afternoon sun on the west side of the house. Will they survive in these conditions. How many plants need to cover fifteen feet spread? All the best. Steve
Spider mites
Can spider mites kill or harm my plant? How often/long should I treat the plant for? Since its indoor how often should I water? You have been very helpful. Hope you and your family have a safe and enjoyable holidays.
Leaf spot disease
I have brown spots on my mandevilla vine leaf especially near the veining. What is this and what do I do?
Tubers
I live in Savannah GA & did not bring my Mandevilla in for the winter. When I dug it out of its planter, it had many healthy looking tuberous roots. Can I replant the root/tubers and expect them to grow? How long to maturity?
I purchased a hanging potted mandevilla…then discovered it will climb…can I place it near a trellis or what works best for Midwest weather?
Is it possible to start a mandevilla from the tubers of an older plant? Just the tubers, not the whole root.
Slow to bloom
I pulled up my Mandevilla this spring thinking it was dead but discovered a sprout from one of the fleshy roots so I replanted it into a large pot. It finally recovered from the shock and has lots of leaves/vines but no blooms. It bloomed into the fall last year. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Sheryl (south Louisiana)
I have a pot of Mandevillas that have bloomed. My question is does the Mandevilla come with the trumpet type flower as seen on most sites and also a double or rose type bloom? Mine has both on the same plant. The double one almost looks like a carnation with large petals around it. Is this normal?
Winterize Mandevilla
I see many posts about bringing inside but my plants are far too large. I live in the SF Bay Area and in Dec/Jan it can get down into the 30’s – sometimes below. Can I winterize my mandevillas and keep them outside? Plastic covers, for example? Not surprising I did nothing with last years and two of three died… the third started to come back in the spring but I replaced all with large, full plants.
Mandevilla seeds
I love your site and I have a question about my Mandevilla. This is my second year and I’m going to take them in this year to try and save them. One of the plants is getting seed pods. I’ll plant the seeds in the spring at my friends greenhouse. Will they produce large, blooming plants the first year?
Pruning Mandevilla
I live in Clearwater, FL and want to cut back my potted mandevilla vine to rejuvenate new growth. How far back is recommended? Should it be to the old growth? I would like to get flowers throughout, not only on the tips.
Cold damage
I live in Orlando, FL and have multiple gorgeous mandevilla plants growing over the fence around my back yard. We recently had several very cold nights, including a hard frost, and all my mandevilla have turned completely brown. Are they dead? Will they come back? Do I cut them back to the base of the plants?
I have aphids on my Mandevilla plant that I have in my kitchen for winter storage. I want to get rid of the aphids without spraying a chemical in my house . Is there anything that will treat them by adding to the pot of soil it is planted in. It’s a huge vine and praying it would be difficult inside my home. This happened to my mandevilla last year inside the house and it lost every leaf. I put Rosebush insect treatment in the soil and it didn’t work, then I bought an indoor aphid spray and sprayed the few leaves and the vine . It suffered so much I cut it back . It grew when put out in the spring but never bloomed. Now what can I do. It was doing so good inside until now.
What can I do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My mandevilla has tiny ants all over the leaves and the blooms and also yellow stuff, kind of looks like very tiny eggs.
Hello, I purchased three Mandevilla plants through ebay. They arrived last week in great shape and in the bare root form. I planted them in 100% very well seasoned compost. They are about 2 to 3 feet tall. They are doing pretty well. Lost a few leaves but other wise OK. My question is. Can I cut them back to make them bushier or will that be too hard on them? If not then when? We live in St. Louis. I do not expect to set them out for another 60 days. Will I have to harden them off at that time? Do I harden them off just like a young perennial or annual seedling? Best regards
i was just wondering if there is a specific bird or butterfly that like the Mandevilla?
Mandevilla seeds
I have seeds from my Mandevilla from last year. What do I need to do to get them to grow. I have planted a couple dozen in soil watered them every other day & nothing. Is there something I need to do in addition to this???
Mandevilla seed
I’m from New Zealand, and I have some third generation seed from my Grandparents Mandevilla plant, my Mom grew a plant and harvested seed, but it died, so I have the only seeds, and I didn’t know how to grow them! Thanks for the info I’ve read here, I’ll try your advice, and hopefully grow a new plant!
Would you recommend using a time release pellet type fertilizer.
Hi. I seem to have had bad luck with these plants. I’m on my third new one and the leaves become mottled, turn yellow, then brown until they dry up and fall off (along with the buds). It looks awful and may not make it. I do try to keep it in the sunnier room but not direct. I try to watch it does not dry out but wondering if the soil needs replacing even though it has been here for a month so chances are it is me, not the soil. I’ve tried a mild fertilizer. They are expensive to buy here and wondering what I am doing wrong. I live in northern Ontario, Canada. Thank you so much in advance.
Hi and thank you for your speedy reply–awesome. The only thing is where we are, it will not get to be in the 50’s at night until mid June anyway and gets cold in September. What should I do for the interim? Also, I noticed that the plant has a double container–the one in which the plant is in has drainage holes and the other outer one has no holes, so I’m wondering if the plant is sitting in water and is suffering root rot. If I water it just a bit when needed–the soil will be hard, hard on top, but the soil at the bottom is wet. This is why I was thinking it needed to have new soil that is “dry” to absorb any excess moisture and top dress it with new soil. Is it OK to leave it in that type of pot being that it should not sit in water? (sorry for all the q’s–just frustrated as I’m pretty good with plants) Thanks again.:)
have a pair of white mandevilla planted outside on trellis in 2/09. both were flourishing until about 3 weeks ago. one continues to look great. other has wilted leaves and some dead shoots. replanted wilted one 2 weeks ago thinking it might be getting water trapped at roots. gave it some fertilizer. do not see any signs of insects. wilted one looks same except more dead leaves, shoots, etc. what would you suggest as next step?
I just purchased two Mandevilla plants to brighten-up the sunny area in front of my brickfront townhouse. I saw the plant flourish last summer nearby and fell in love. Unfortunately, I didn’t do much research before buying it and need help. I currently have it outside (4/23/09) and am concerned about temp. I’m not sure if the commercial brand potting soil is right for this plant. I’m hoping to get advice on whether these plants should be out yet, how I should treat the soil, and how I can maintain them throughout the spring and summer months.
*Mandevilla care tips
I have 18 plants-most from cuttings.
Here’s what I’ve done every year and, so far it works. Do this BEFORE the night time temps get below 40.
Prepare for winter
1)a WEEK before you are planning to move it inside, feed it well. The plan is to get it strong for the winter hibernation. WATER IT WELL THE DAY BEFORE OR MORNING OF YOUR PLANNED REMOVAL.
2)on the day of removal, cut it back to about 1 – 1 1/2 feet from the soil with one good chop. Clean up the severed vines and discard.
3)press your shovel ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND in a circle around the plant about 6 inches from growth. Gently lift the plant out and place it in a pot that will hold it for the Winter.
3)give it some water but not enough to run out of the pot.
4)place the whole thing in a clear plastic trash bag and put it in a place that will not get below 40 degrees in the winter. A heated garage, a basement or a cool room. Tie the bag closed so that it will stay humid and dry out very slowly allowing the plant to adjust slowly. Here’s something that I do: once I put the plant in the bag, I give the plant a quick, LIGHT shot of all-purpose bug killer and then I tie the bag up. It seems to kill off anything that thinks it might hang out on the plant for the winter.
5)now, forget about it until Spring.
SPRING:
Remove 2 shovels full of soil from the spot where you plan to put your Mandevilla. Fill in the spot with 2 shovels full of organic matter (compost) and sir it up and over very well. This will give the plant a happy home for the season. Remember to keep about half of the soil that is on the roots in the pot when transplanting.
when the night temps are 40 or higher (in New Jersey I wait until April 20th)I move them outside, discard the plastic bag and water JUST A LITTLE. Because it hasn’t been in the sun for a few months, the leaves will burn. That’s normal. It WILL look dead and will lose any leaves that sprouted. This is normal. Just clean it up and know that this is the way the plant adjusts to the sun. Water it gently a few times until you are ready to put it in the ground. May 1st is when I plant mine.
Before storing your containers for the summer, remember to wash them out with bleach and a mild dish detergent to kill off anything that’s not supposed to be there.
Fertilize weekly with a weak solution of all purpose food.
ENJOY FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER!!
Thanks for the insightful comment!
Propagate mandevilla
Can I ask how you propogate them? Whatever you are doing, seems to be successful.
I HAVE A MANDEVILLA PLANT I HAD LAST SUMMER. I TOOK IT IN FOR THE WINTER. KNOW THE DIRT LEVEL HAS DROPPED ABOUT 6 INCHES BELOW THE POT. HOW DO I TREAT THIS CONDITION?
Hi, My husband bought me a mandevilla for a flower garden he fixed for me .He put a trellis behind the mandevilla and it didn’t take long ,for it to start wrapping around the trellis . I just love my mandevilla . We are going on vacation for a week. Will it be alright without watering it daily ? It is in the low 80’s in the day time . Thanks
Are mandevilla vines or plants poisonous to dogs?
I bought 4 mandavilla’s for my porch, the containers they came in did not have any drainage holes so they held alot of water, 3 of the plants leaves turned brown only 1 new shoot on each how can I save my plant? No new leaf growth either.
I bought a Mandevilla for the first time this spring. It has been on my front porch for about a week and seems to be doing fine. I want to transfer it into a slightly larger pot, but the plant came with a trellis in the pot. The plant is not just vining up the trellis, but has been twisted around and around all of the sections of the trellis. I can’t imagine that this is natural, so the plant must have been wrapped around the trellis as it grew. This trellis is not very tall and I would like to replace it with a taller one, but how do I replace it without damaging the plant. Or, should I just leave the short trellis alone and replace it when I cut the plant back next year? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.
I bought my Mandevilla on clearance and it only had one flower on it. Since then I have repotted it and fertilized it but still no flowers. The leaves are growing with new stems, however I don’t see any signs of flower buds. Did I buy a lemon?
Pruning Mandevilla
I live in Houston, TX and have two mandevillas in my back yard, shaded with 30 – 40 ft magnolia and live oaks. These plants had taken over the back yard and were climbing all over the trees. Two years ago, I decided to have them cut to the ground (taking part of the magnolia and live oaks with them). They are growing back fine. I’m training them to follow my fence, rather than climb the trees. So far they have not bloomed. Do they need full sun to bloom or is it just a matter of time? They get more sun now that the trees had to be trimmed. Also, what is the best time to trim these? They are very hardy and have lived through all our winters. I would love some flowers, but need to control their growth some. Thank you.
I just bought 2 mandevilla plants and want to put them outside for the summer. Do deer eat mandevilla?
Ok, I live in Nebraska and have for 7 years. I have found that 2 plants that I have always gathered the seed and replanted (they were Annuals) have started growing without me seeding them (they seed themselves. I am not sure if this is due to the many generations being resown… (over 11 years now that I have had them)… so back to my Mandevilla I just bought… If I let it enjoy the outrageous heat of Summer, and collect the seeds (and “sow a few” do you think the seeds will lie dormant until the spring? That is what the others have begun to do.
Re-potting mandevilla
Re-potting Question: The pot we got with our plant is pretty small and we’re gonna be upsizing it. I haven’t seen any mention of it yet on this site but would it be adviseable to put a layer of rock at the bottom to support drainage or no?
Zone 5.
Adding on to my post, we were looking for the 10-20-10 combo for plant food but the best we have in our area that even comes close is 15-30-15 which is the same ratio just higher levels of each. We didn’t get it yet. The other option of course is Miracle Grow’s 20-20-20 all purpose. Thoughts
Why aren’t my mandevillas blooming? They are growing like crazy but no blooms. What can i do?
I purchased a Mandivilla and started having problems with the leaves yellowing. I read on here and was told by someone at a local greenhouse that it needed to be fertilized. I got the 10-20-10 and was told to add 1tsp every 2 weeks. After adding the first tsp my plant started dying by the next morning. I have ran water through the soil to remove whatever fertilizer is left but it hasn’t seemed to help. I also have seen no signs of blooms before the yellowing started. Is there anything else I can do to bring it back? I do still have some green on it.
This is my 2nd year in a row growing a Mandevilla in a container on my front porch. Both years, the Mandevilla has done very well, but the other plants in the container don’t perform well at all. In fact, the trailing Lobelia I have in the container this year is dying. Has anyone had trouble with companion plants with Mandevilla? Is there something about it that doesn’t work well with other plants?
7-7-09 I purchased a “Crimson” Mandevella vine plant on May 5 and the plant has grown maybe 3 inches in height and shows NO indication of turning into a vine. My husband went out and purchased a beautiful trellis for it for 80 dollars and —NO VINE—feeding ith the prescribed time released food, keeping it in full sun and following all the directions. Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you .
Hi. Im a first time gardener. And I just bought a mandeville for the first time. its mid july. so I just took it out of its planter from the store. It looks healthy and lush. I’ve sprayed some bug repellant on it. Now how often should I water it. If its already healthy? Every night or only 3 times a week?
We have small dark dots on the buds and leaves of two of our Mandeville plants. The buds die and the leaves shrival. We can’t see any movement with the black dots. What are these and how do we save our plants?
Thanks
Michele
Could be a leaf spot caused by a bacteria or fungus. Avoid getting the flowers/leaves wet.
Hello. I am new with Mandevilla. I live in Orlando and have three (2 red and one pink) that i purchased about 2-3 months ago. It has been amazingly hot here (over 95) and these poor guys are right in the blistering heat. I have sandy soil and have been making sure to water them more due to the intense (and unusual) heat. But all growth has stopped and the leaves are yellowing. In fact, the red ones seem to be shrinking. What can I do to save them?
Hi,
I too have a mandevilla plant and have been looking for info on toxicity for cats (I have 2 indoor) – Some sites have me terrified about having it indoors while others say it is low toxicity… What happened to your cat after it chewed up your mandevilla? Did it get sick?
Thanks in advance.
I never see bees or buterflies on my mandevilla. Do the blooms have nectar?
I was just reading over the comments on here and was really surprised by the number of people having problems with their mandevillas. Some observations: the pink is the strongest of the types – reds and whites don’t seem to be as vigorous. For two years I’ve grown mine on either side of the entrance to my front porch – eastern exposure – full sun until around noon. On one side there is a downspout from the rain gutters – that plant gets lots of water and, while it has good drainage, the ground stays wet – IT DOES GREAT! The other plant (while it still does well) is only about 1/2 to 2/3 the size – I try to keep it watered every few days. I don’t try to save mine when the cold weather comes here in North Carolina – they are cheap enough to replace each year. I think that since mine are never really stressed may be the reason I never have bug issues.
I do have a question however – in a tropical setting without a dry season – do these plants flower 12 months a year?
This is such an interesting site, thank you. Was just checking on winterizing our four plants. One is over ten years old (wish I could send you a picture of it, breathtaking). They do need to be fed every two weeks during the spring and summer. We have just been playing it by ear, and after reading all this advice, found out we were doing things just right.
I have two giant Crimson Mandevillas which have been spectacular. I would love to try to winter them, preferably in the dormant stage because of room. However my plant says “annual”. Does this mean that some are annual and some perennial and I would not be able to winter them? I have tried to winter them before but my plants were rather disappointing the following year and bloomed sparsely. I have decided after reading this site, that I had not been trimming them enough when the new growth started. Some said they were inexpensive enough to buy each spring, but all the plants I find are at least $20 but they are thriving blooming plants that I keep in pots all summer. .
I purchased my first Mandevilla plant in June, and it has flourished. I planted it in its original pot, as I had hopes of taking it to Florida for the winter (January to May). Should I fertilize it now and trim it back to its original size to fit the trellis before bringing it indoors? Will it adjust to Florida, or will it go dormant for a while? I would love to bring it back with me in May!!! Look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Judie
I have two mandevilla plants. All summer they bloomed beautifully and were stunning. I waited too long to bring them inside and the flowers drooped and the leaves are all dry and brittle. I live in Minnesota. I have it in a sunny window, but don’t know weather to water it for the winter and hope it survives or cut it back and leave it dry for the winter. Or cut it back and water it for the winter and hope for the best in the spring. Help!!
i live in kerala,india i have a mandeville and want to know how to care the plant in our hot & humid weather in this part .can it be put on ground or should it be in pots only? how much sun /or should it be in shade/
hi I live in new hampshire and bought a mandeville, no problems it was beautiful but because of the cold winters and the ground freezing. will the plant come back? maybe if covered with hay r brought in the house?
Are there any known allergies to this plant? Since transplanting the Dipladenia to bring it inside for the winter, I have broken out on my hands and arms, similar to poison.