Allamandas, Prune or Replace?

17 years ago

Our neighor here in Spring Hill has some beautiful small Allamandas outside her living room picture window. They seem to bloom all summer. So, we got some and put them in front of our living room window in full sun. They did a great job of flowering but got to be much too tall. We expected small plants like our neighbors.

Our neighbor knows nothing about her small allamandas because her daughter who visits now and then planted them. So I talked to the garden shop and they sold me Dwarf Allamandas. I transplanted the large ones from the front of the house to the back of the house and planted the dwarfs in front of the window last fall. So far the dwarf allamandas have not bloomed at all but have grown to about four feet tall in front of the window. The garden shop now says that dwarf Allamandas get 3' to 4' tall. We want small plants, about 18" tall. I do not know what to do.

All the instructions I can find say that Allamanda pruning should be done in the spring before flowering begins. If I prune our "dwarf" plants now, we will probably not see any blooms, but we do not want such tall plants in front of the window. Would it make sense to prune them now and try to keep them about 18" tall in the future? Or, are Allamandas the wrong plants for that location?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

fawnridge (Ricky)
17 years ago
The dwarf Allamanda is not going to grow as well in your zone. They don't handle the cold. Cut them back to 12" now, since they're not blooming anyway. Ditto with the ones you transplanted.
AmberSky
17 years ago
Well is relitive. With protection from the ocasional frost, alamandas, even the dwarf sort, perform spectacularly in Tampa, which is zone 9.

But you might want to stick with something shorter if you want only 18", rather than spend your time fighting them.
Related Professionals
California Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Muncie Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sacramento Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lafayette Landscape Contractors · Saint Joseph Landscape Contractors · Lufkin Landscape Contractors · Victoria Landscape Contractors · Poughkeepsie Landscape Contractors · Helena Landscape Contractors · Joplin Kitchen Remodelers · Charlotte Kitchen Remodelers · Elgin Kitchen Remodelers · Traverse City Kitchen Remodelers · Pocatello Kitchen Remodelers · Spanish Fork Kitchen Remodelers
carver
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks to both of you for replying.

Fawnridge, you are right that they do not handle the cold well. Yet our neighbor's bloom profusely each year in spite of being "killed back" most years.

Would you please elaborate on WHY we should cut them back to 12" now? If you feel that they are not going to grow well here, would it not be better to just replace them?

Ambersky, "Spectacular" is a good word to describe our neighbor's small allamandas. Yet, I would would be happy to NOT have to spend my time fighting ours (especially since our new ones are not blooming at all). Could you possibly suggest something small plants that are attractive year round and hardy in Zone9?
AmberSky
17 years ago
For about that height, I have had good luck with Crossandras.

They also want some protection from a hard freeze, but the glossy green leaves look good unless they are frost savaged, they requite little care, and bloom most of the year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crossandras
fawnridge (Ricky)
17 years ago
Carver - because I've done it for years with Allamanda that someone has let get too long and leggy. Don't be afraid to cut a plant hard that is not doing what you want it to do. What's the worst that could happen? It'll either grow in nice and full, or it will die. Then you can replace it. I have 2 bush Allamanda (your big ones) and have never let them get more than 4 feet tall. They've been in the ground for 11 years and I'll bet I can grow them another 5 before they'll give up the ghost.

When I was designing and installing, I used hundreds of the dwarf Allamanda. I can't say that many of them are still alive. Not a very hardy plant, even down here in zone 10. The bush or the vines grow like weeds and will bloom most of the year.