Mandevilla can make a great, colorful addition to your garden or patio. This plant is getting more and more popular with home gardeners. Mandevillas flower beautifully and they provide a very pretty sight, especially during warmer months.

Mandevillas got their name after Henry Mandeville, a gardener and diplomat. This is a small, exotic plant best known for its twining stems. The plant has beautiful, oval-shaped green leaves.

These plants are sometimes mistaken for dipladenia, but they are not the same. They are similar plants, but there are enough differences to tell them apart. Dipladenia plants have larger flowers and their leaves are not as leathery.

There are several popular varieties you can find in stores: pink (Alice Dupont), yellow, White Delight, Red Riding Hood and darker red (Ruby Star). There is also a new variety, called "Stars and Stripes". They are all beautiful and will make a colorful addition to your home, backyard, balcony or patio.

The good news is that Mandevillas are easy to care for, so they are a good choice even for beginner gardeners.

Optimal Growing Conditions

Mandevillas are best to be grown on a trellis. They vine beautifully and make a great sight. This is one of the ways to tell them apart from dipladenia: dipladenia is often potted or used as a basket plant. Mandevillas tend to be very "showy" and they flower beautifully and readily, especially during the warmer months.

These plants require lots of light so it's best to position them somewhere where they can get high, bright sunlight. When choosing the best soil, use a well-drained soil since these plants tend to be very sensitive to over-watering. It's also important to allow the plants to dry between waterings. When you water, water thoroughly but slowly so all the soil can get wet.

Also, don't forget that the plant will probably need some pinching to keep it inbounds. You should prune your Mandevillas after flowering so you can shape them properly. This is also a good moment to carefully train the twining stems. Don't forget to tie up young plants at first. Mandevillas can be propagated by seeds or stem cuttings.

Flowers

Mandevillas have beautiful and colorful flowers. To have your plant bloom, it's important to provide a warm temperature. The plant will stall if the temperature stays below 65 degrees F, so it's something you need to pay attention to.

When it comes to fertilizing, keep in mind that flowering forces plants to use up a lot of energy. Therefore, giving them a bit of fertilizer can be helpful. Choose a balanced fertilizer to keep the plant flowering for longer.

Photo credit: cristina.sanvito