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Mandevilla

Mandevilla (man-de-VILL-uh)

Family: Apocynaceae Unknown Vine (vertical)

Mandevilla is a genus of tropical, perennial shrubs and vines in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). There are over 180 recognized species occurring from the Desert Southwest of the USA through Mexico and Central America to South America. Many species are native to Brazil. The genus name honors Henry Mandeville, a British diplomat and gardener Mandevilla is commonly grown as a houseplant, patio plant or bedding annual in temperate regions. They grow best at 65 to 70 degrees F. If grown outdoors, plant in a container as they are cold sensitive; bring indoors in areas with frost and allow soil to dry out during the winter. Prune before placing back outdoors in the spring. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and appreciates afternoon shade in hot humid climates. It is tolerant of coastal conditions. Provide it with plenty of water in the summer. Indoors they need bright indirect light, average room temperature, and high humidity. Soil should remain moist but not soggy. Pinch long stems back for a bushier habit. It may need a trellis or stake to remain upright, but some cultivars are more shrub-like in their habit. Mandevilla makes for a colorful houseplant or greenhouse plant. It can be grown in a container on a patio in the summer. Some gardeners treat them as bedding annuals. Mandevilla plants in the nursery trade are generally hybrids involving more than one species. Breeding trends are toward a more shrubby, less vining habit and an expanded color range. Currently, cultivars of the popular SunParasol® group come in all shades of pink and red, as well as bicolors, white, yellow and bluish purple. A double-flowered cultivar is available. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : No major problems but can attract mites, aphids, thrips and whitefly insects.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Fuchsia x hybrida Lantana camara 'Miss Huff' Thunbergia alata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Herbaceous Perennial; Houseplant; Perennial; Vine
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Climbing; Dense; Irregular; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Fine pointed wrinkled leaves are deep green and glossy. 3'-8" long
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Funnel; Tubular
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers large and showy, funnel or tubular-shaped, 5-parted rounded lobes, variously colored, usually white to rose with a yellow center
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit detail
Fruits are paired follicles.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Milky sap exudes when cut
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
Wildlife value
When planted outdoors the tubular showy flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Follicle
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Hanging Baskets; Patio; Vertical Spaces
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Mass Planting; Specimen
Garden tags
#houseplant #red flowers #showy flowers #woody vine #hummingbird friendly #interiorscape #evergreen #hanging baskets #nectar plant #pollinator plant #butterfly friendly #tropical feel #container plant #wildlife friendly #trellis
Problems & Resistance
Other problems
Twospotted Spider Mites on Landscape Plants
Resistant to
Humidity

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.