Mandevilla
Mandevilla × amabilis. Family Apocynaceae. Climber.
Also called Pink mandevilla, Rose mandevilla.
Mandevilla × amabilis is a tropical, twining climber grown for large pink trumpet flowers and glossy leaves. It flowers through the warm months on a trellis or other support, especially in a sunny, sheltered position. Outside frost-free climates, grow it as an annual or keep it in a container that can spend winter indoors.
At a glance
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade; give afternoon shade in very hot climates and shelter from strong winds.
- Water
- Water thoroughly when the surface of the soil or potting mix begins to dry; keep moist but never waterlogged during active growth.
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil or a free-draining container potting mix.
- Height
- 10-20 ft (3-6 m) with support in frost-free conditions; usually smaller in seasonal containers
- Spread
- 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m), depending on training
- Flowers
- Late spring through autumn, sometimes longer in tropical climates; large pink trumpets with deeper pink throats.
- Foliage
- Evergreen. Glossy, dark green, oval leaves arranged in opposite pairs.
- Growth
- Fast in warm weather
- Care needed
- Medium
The year at a glance
- Pollinators
- Heat tolerant
- Low allergen
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Toughness
- Fairly tough
Will it suit your garden?
Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.
Full sun is 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, part shade 3 to 6 hours, shade under 3.
How it grows
Planting day
2 ft (0.6 m)
After 1 year
3 ft (1.1 m)
After 2 years
5 ft (1.5 m)
After 3 years
6 ft (1.8 m)
full size
About 3 years to full size.
From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.
Good to know
- Cats and dogs
- Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach
- Growth rate
- Fast
Care
Jobs through the year
- WaterApr–May, Sep, every 7 days
- Water when the surface begins drying; in zones 6–7 grow in a container and check moisture more often.
- WaterJun–Aug, every 4 days
- For established ground plants in warm climates, keep roots moist but drained; check pots more frequently.
- WaterJan–Mar, Oct–Dec, every 14 days
- Under cool winter cover, water sparingly when the surface dries without drying the root ball completely.
- FeedMay–Aug, every 14 days
- Feed container plants with balanced liquid fertiliser at the label rate during active growth.
- PruneFeb–Mar
- Remove weak or dead stems and shorten long shoots before strong growth; wear gloves against milky sap.
- ProtectSep
- Move pots into bright, frost-free shelter before nights regularly fall below 10°C.
- ProtectJun
- Acclimatise plants outdoors after nights become reliably warm and provide a sturdy trellis.
- ProtectJun–Aug, every 14 days
- Guide young stems onto their support and tie loosely until they twine.
- Provide a sturdy trellis or wires at planting and loosely tie in young stems until they twine.
- Water containers whenever the surface begins to dry, allowing excess water to drain away.
- Feed container plants every two weeks during active growth with a balanced liquid fertiliser at the label rate.
- Bring pots indoors before nights regularly fall below 50°F (10°C); provide bright light and frost-free conditions.
- Water sparingly in winter, keeping the root ball from drying out completely, and stop feeding until growth resumes.
Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead or weak stems and shorten long shoots to fit the support. Wear gloves to avoid the milky sap, and avoid repeated heavy pruning during summer because it removes flowering growth.
Through the year
- Late winter
- Prune overwintered plants before strong new growth begins and check stems and leaf undersides for pests.
- Spring
- Repot crowded plants into a slightly larger container with fresh, free-draining potting mix.
- Late spring
- After frost risk has passed and nights are reliably warm, gradually acclimatise indoor plants to outdoor light.
- Summer
- Water regularly, feed container plants and guide new shoots onto their support.
- Early autumn
- In cool climates, inspect for pests and move plants indoors before chilly nights arrive.
- Winter
- Keep overwintering plants in bright, frost-free conditions; reduce watering and withhold fertiliser.
In the garden
- Train up a trellis in a large patio pot for vertical colour without taking up much floor space.
- Grow against a sunny, sheltered wall to soften masonry with glossy foliage and pink flowers.
- Use on an arch or pergola in frost-free gardens for a long season of tropical flowers.
- Pair with lantana and trailing sweet potato vine in a large container, keeping the mandevilla on its own support.
Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Luxury resort, Modern courtyard, Romantic rose garden and Small-space.
Plant it with: Lantana, Pentas, Sweet potato vine, Coleus and Angelonia.
Wildlife: Flowers may attract butterflies and, in the Americas, hummingbirds. It is not a substitute for locally native host plants.
Problems to watch for
- Spider mites cause fine stippling and webbing, especially indoors: rinse leaf undersides and use a labelled insecticidal soap if needed.
- Mealybugs and scale collect on stems and leaf joints: isolate affected pots, remove small infestations by hand and treat persistent pests with a labelled horticultural oil.
- Yellow leaves and root rot can follow waterlogging: clear drainage holes, empty saucers and let the surface begin to dry before watering again.
- Few flowers often result from insufficient light or excessive nitrogen: move to a brighter position and avoid high-nitrogen feeds.
Safety
Treat all parts as potentially harmful if eaten by people, cats or dogs; ingestion may cause stomach upset, and the milky sap can irritate skin and eyes. Reliable information on toxicity to horses is limited, so keep it away from grazing animals. Wear gloves when pruning.
Easily confused with
Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa)
Has fragrant white flowers rather than pink ones and usually loses its leaves in cool conditions.
Golden trumpet (Allamanda cathartica)
Usually has yellow flowers and leaves commonly grouped in whorls, rather than the opposite leaf pairs of mandevilla.
The name
Mandevilla honours Henry John Mandeville, a British diplomat and gardener, while amabilis means 'lovely' in Latin.
Propagation. Take softwood or semi-ripe stem cuttings in late spring or summer and root them in a warm, humid propagator with free-draining medium. Wear gloves when handling cut stems; check propagation restrictions before multiplying named cultivars.
Checked against open data
- Accepted botanical name
- Mandevilla amabilis
Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.
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