I have mixed feelings on Mandevilla here in Winnipeg. I had a plant in a pot on the deck for a few summers and it never really grew much, until late June or July and even then was just a single vine about 4 feet long. Maybe if I started with a bushier plant. But, mine was in part-shade only. My theory is that it doesn't really do much until at least average summertime-type temperatures occur, though maybe the lack of growth was because it was in part sun.

But, I bought a Dipladenia (a more 'shrubby' relative of mandevilla) last summer and, in more sun in a pot on the deck, it bloomed like crazy all summer.

I think both plants should have the same requirements so maybe my mandevilla was just in too shady a spot. Even when it's cool outside a plant in the sun gets warmed up and mine just wasn't getting that much sun. Although another issue with my mandevilla could have been that it was transplanted into a bigger planter with other plants, and had to establish it's root system until it bloomed.

Still, I see alot of mandevilla vines this spring at nurseries in hanging baskets, it will be interesting how they perform.

Glen

Hi Glen! :)

I got a mandevilla for my birthday. Right now it's outside by the trellis recently abandoned by a clematis (i killed another one!). It's in pretty much full sun, and is doing all right so far. A couple of its vines have started up the trellis. I'm assuming that i'll have to cut these to bring it in for the winter. (Winter - did i just say that?? LOL)

I had a Mandevilla vine last year and it did pretty much the same as Glen's. I had mine in sun for up to 7 or 8 hours. All I got was a vine maybe 2-1/2 feet tall, if that.

My friend's mother, however, had one in part shade and it was amazing. It was bushy and had tons of blooms, and if I remember, no taller than mine. You wouldn't have known we had the same plant. She's an amazing gardener, and I'm betting she fertilized on a regular basis. She would have planted it in Pro-Mix I'm sure.

I was so impressed, that this year I've purchased two of them, and they're bushy and much healthier looking than the one I had last year. Going to keep my fingers crossed =:) Right now they're in the garage, so I hope it's not too cold.

Good luck with yours!

Glen it seems you and me have the same exotic/tropical gardening vibe!lol I think one of my mandevilla is a Dipladenia and the other is a normal mandevilla. I bought the most full and lushest looking ones. My red one was full of buds and flowers and ever since I brought it inside they are falling off. What would cause this?? The lower light level or the warmer temps inside the house???

Andres I'm no expert but you would think it would love the warmth inside, so perhaps the lower light? I assume yours is not soggy wet nor bone dry? If I remember mine lost some blossoms from the car ride home and it was a cool spring and it was outside (but obviously I protected from frost) but once the weather straightened out it seemed to do fairly well and bloomed - a lot.

Yes I admit to being struck with the tropical gardening vibe. It gets sort of expensive as a lot of tropicals are expensive annuals. I try to over winter what I can but I have limited room so I have to pick and choose which plants get to come in for winter.