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.
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My son gave his wife and I each a Mandeville for Mothers day. They have been beautiful all summer. Now mine still has healthy dark green leaves but few blossums but hers looks like it is wilting and dying. We are novices to flower gardening. We live in WV. Have plants in big pots on deck thinking to bring them in for winter.But when , do we cut them back? and can anything be done for hers with leaves looking wilted.
Comment by Ruth King — 8/28/2005 @ 9:12 am
My 20-mo. old son has a habit of picking the flowers of my mother’s Mandevilla vine and eating them. Are they poisonous? We try to get them away from him when we can, but he is so quick to grab and eat them that we don’t always catch him right away.
Comment by Kristen — 9/28/2005 @ 7:02 pm
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
Comment by Christa — 11/14/2005 @ 1:37 pm
I just got a mandevilla this summer and i put it inside last month. First it was pretty and healthy but now its leaves are getting brown by the ends and then got brown spots and then drop. I want to know if it is a fungus or I am overwatering. I water it every week and I leave some water in the botton of the plant.
Comment by Aidee — 11/15/2005 @ 6:51 pm
Information regarding rooting of mandevilla cuttings
Comment by Dana — 11/23/2005 @ 8:47 am
I did not cut back the plant when I brought in for winter. Now getting new tbut have white residue & sticky. Help! Do I cut back Now?
Also have used inecticidal soap & washed leaves with alcohol
Comment by jean m — 2/1/2006 @ 9:38 am
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?
Comment by Diane Alcorn — 3/12/2006 @ 4:47 pm
We were going to plant a clematis where our Mandevilla was last year and when we started digging we found the bulbs from the Mandevilla. IT IS HUGE and very healthy. What should we do with the bulb. I am in Atl, GA climate. This plant was beautiful last year.
Comment by Brenda Basey — 4/17/2006 @ 9:48 am
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)
Comment by dawn — 4/24/2006 @ 2:24 pm
need advice, I sucessfully winterized my 2 mandavilla’s thru the winter by bringing indoors and cutting back, the plant grew lovely new green leaves an lots of new shoots, this week, May 6 I put the plant back outside for only 1 day, watered and fertilized, and only 1 day later the leaves are turning brown. Is it maybe because the temp went down to about 42 degrees last night. would that be the reason or should I have not fertilized yet?
should I bring it back inside until warmer, can I save my plant?Toronto, Canada
Comment by Pauline — 5/8/2006 @ 12:32 pm
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?
Comment by Karen H — 5/25/2006 @ 3:19 pm
My Mandavilla’s vine is growing well, but the mature leaves on the plant are browning and dying from the leave’s vein outward to the leave’s edges. I wouldn’t call it “yellowing” as I’ve seen in over-watering of other plants, but a dry, dying brown leaf. Is this not enough water? The plant is planted in the ground in a good sunny spot. I don’t want to lose my new Mandevilla - it’s beautiful!
Comment by P. Ward — 5/31/2006 @ 8:31 am
I am a novice at gardening. I have just taken it up but I love it! The flowers make me happy! I bought 2 Mandevilles to climb my posts in my front garden. They came tied to sticks. Do I take the sticks out now that I have planted them?
Comment by Jean Russell — 6/5/2006 @ 3:09 pm
My mandevilla has tiny ants all over the leaves and the blooms and also yellow stuff, kind of looks like very tiny eggs.
Comment by ann connor — 6/13/2006 @ 4:49 am
Hello!
I live in East Central PA and have just received a Mandevilla vine for a housewarming gift. Sadly, I am not very skilled in keeping plants alive. When we received the plant it had beautiful pink flowers and what looked to be buds ready to open. In a week’s time, all the flowers have wilted and fallen off. The vines are green and look healthy. The plant is still in the pot it came in. Also, there is no evidence of insects at this time. How do I keep this plant alive, keeping in mind that I once killed a cactus!!!!
Any tips for caring for this plant would be appreciated!!
Thanks, Lisa
Comment by Lisa — 8/15/2006 @ 10:31 pm
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..
Comment by Barbara — 8/20/2006 @ 8:37 am
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?
Comment by Sherry — 8/21/2006 @ 10:32 pm
I just received a mandevilla and when do you re pot and what size pot to use. The pot that it came in is small and it looks root bound
Comment by Cheryl — 8/24/2006 @ 6:49 pm
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
Comment by A.E.Bentley — 10/12/2006 @ 2:20 am
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
Comment by Paul Gardner — 2/18/2007 @ 5:52 pm
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?
Comment by Renee Barry — 4/26/2007 @ 2:11 pm
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?
Comment by Joel Studebkaer — 7/20/2007 @ 5:30 pm
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.
Comment by Sandra — 7/21/2007 @ 2:45 pm
I am interested in purchasing mandevilla for my daughter who lives in Phoenix. She needs vining container plants to place in an area between her house and the cement block fence. The area doesn’t get direct sun until late afternoon, evening. Would this be a wise choice for the climate and growing area?
Comment by Pam — 8/4/2007 @ 4:47 pm
I live in Portland, Maine and would like to have a Mandevilla as a house plant - keeping it indoors in a pot year round. I have a sunny southside spot in front of two windows. The plant would be placed between the windows where there is some shading due to woodwork between the windows. Will this plant bloom all year?
Does it require any maintenance (ie cutting back) other than watering/fertilizing as it is an indoor house plant?
thank you
Comment by Debbie — 8/9/2007 @ 6:50 am
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
Comment by Howard Stoneman — 8/13/2007 @ 1:05 pm
I live in Minnesota (zone 5) I have no basement, my garage is not heated. My outdoor Mandevilla is in a fairly large pot. I would prefer not to have it in my house over the winter in the pot it is in.
If I want to save it for Spring, should I trim
it down, put in a smaller pot, and just treat it like another house plant? Or, I could put it in an un-heated basement with no sunlight whatsoever. What should I do?
Comment by Katie Brinker — 8/22/2007 @ 9:04 am
Are Mandevilla plants poisonous for dogs if they chew on it.
Thanks, Sharon
Linda Gray
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.
Comment by Sharon — 9/18/2007 @ 5:13 am
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
Comment by Steve Riva — 1/21/2008 @ 5:48 pm
2006-1
Jen ( cal12@co.henrico.va.us / )
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.
Comment by Jen — 1/24/2008 @ 4:23 pm
donna
I have brown spots on my mandevilla vine leaf especially near the veining. What is this and what do I do?
Comment by Donna castellani — 1/24/2008 @ 4:56 pm
When should I be looking for new growth to begin, after wintering and cutting my plant back for the winter months? I repotted the plant and tried to spread out the roots not cutting any of them off. It is looking pretty dead to me.
Comment by June Layton — 3/10/2008 @ 5:39 pm
I’m from Saskatchewan and I am looking to purchase a mature mandevilla vine in Kingston for a friend’s 50th birthday. Does anyone know where I can buy one?
Comment by Jan Spencer — 4/9/2008 @ 10:07 am
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?
Comment by Ruth Cohan — 4/10/2008 @ 10:25 am