Sundaville mandevilla

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps in very hot climates. Indoors, provide the brightest available light.

Water

Water thoroughly when the top 1 in (2.5 cm) of compost feels dry; let excess water drain away. Water much less during cool, slow winter growth.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil or a free-draining container compost; avoid heavy soil that stays wet.

Height

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) with support; compact selections may stay smaller

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

Late spring to autumn, sometimes longer under warm, bright conditions; trumpet-shaped flowers in red, pink or white, depending on selection.

Foliage

Evergreen. Opposite, glossy, dark green, oval leaves with pointed tips.

Growth

Fast in warm weather

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   2 ft (0.6 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (1.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

4. 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.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Fast

• Move outdoors only after frost risk has passed and nights are consistently above 50°F (10°C); introduce strong sun gradually.
• Use a pot with drainage holes and empty standing water from saucers.
• Feed container plants every two weeks during active growth with a flowering-plant fertilizer at the label rate.
• Give climbing selections a trellis or obelisk and loosely tie in young stems.
• Before cold weather, move plants to a bright, frost-free position, ideally above 50°F (10°C), and reduce watering.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead or weak stems and shorten overlong shoots to just above a pair of leaves. Pinch young shoots to encourage branching, and wear gloves to avoid the milky sap.

Late winter

Prune before strong new growth begins and check indoor plants for pests.

Spring

Repot if root-bound and resume regular feeding as growth increases.

Late spring

Harden off gradually and move outdoors once frost has passed and nights stay warm.

Summer

Check container moisture frequently, feed regularly and guide stems onto their support.

Autumn

In cold climates, inspect for pests and bring indoors before nights fall below 50°F (10°C).

Winter

Keep in bright, frost-free conditions; water sparingly and stop feeding while growth is slow.

• Train up a small obelisk in a patio pot for vertical colour without a large footprint.
• Use matching containers beside a sunny doorway, with low-growing annuals around the edges.
• Grow against a sheltered balcony trellis to soften railings with foliage and flowers.
• Combine with cannas and ornamental sweet potato vines for a summer tropical display.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Modern courtyard, Luxury resort, Small-space and Entertainer's garden.

Plant it with: Lantana, Angelonia, Pentas, Cannas, Ornamental sweet potato vine and Calibrachoa.

Wildlife: Flowers may attract butterflies and, where present, hummingbirds. Its value to local wildlife varies, and it is not a substitute for locally native flowering plants.

• Spider mites cause fine stippling and webbing, especially indoors: rinse leaf undersides and use a labelled insecticidal soap if needed.
• Aphids, whiteflies or mealybugs gather on soft growth and leaf undersides: isolate affected pots, remove visible pests and treat with a labelled insecticidal soap.
• Root rot causes yellowing and wilting in wet compost: improve drainage, let the surface dry between waterings and never leave pots standing in water.
• Sparse flowering or bud drop can follow low light, cold nights or repeated drying out: provide brighter light, warmth and more consistent watering.

Treat all parts as potentially harmful if eaten by people, cats or dogs; ingestion may cause digestive upset, and the milky sap can irritate skin and eyes. Evidence for serious poisoning is limited, and specific toxicity to horses is not well documented. Keep away from grazing animals and pets that chew plants.

• Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa)

  A more vigorous climber with strongly fragrant white flowers and less glossy leaves; it commonly loses its leaves in cool conditions.

• Golden trumpet (Allamanda cathartica)

  Usually has large yellow trumpet flowers and leaves arranged in whorls of three or four, rather than opposite pairs.

• Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)

  Forms a low, self-supporting bedding plant with flatter, pinwheel-like flowers rather than a woody climber with deep trumpet-shaped flowers.

Mandevilla honours Henry Mandeville, a British diplomat and gardener, while sanderi honours nurseryman Henry Frederick Conrad Sander.

Propagation. Softwood or semi-ripe cuttings can root with warmth and high humidity in late spring or summer. Seed does not reliably reproduce a named selection; many Sundaville selections are protected by plant breeders' rights or patents, so check restrictions before propagating.

Accepted botanical name

Mandevilla sanderi

Native range

Brazil Southeast.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.