Shrub · Apocynaceae
Dipladenia
Mandevilla sanderi
Hand it full sun, warmth, and sharp drainage, and dipladenia keeps trumpet flowers coming from early summer to fall.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
45–84°F · 7–29°C
USDA 9–11
Overview
Dipladenia is the bushy, mounding side of Mandevilla sanderi, a tropical vine out of Brazil grown for glossy leaves and a nonstop parade of trumpet-shaped flowers. It sits in the dogbane family alongside oleander and periwinkle, and like those relatives, every stem runs with a milky sap. Plant lovers grab it as a patio and container performer that flowers without letup once the warmth settles in.
Much of the naming comes down to trade and growth habit. Plants labeled Dipladenia stay compact and bushy with a knack for trailing, which makes them naturals for pots, baskets, and window boxes, while those labeled Mandevilla climb with more drive and bulk up larger. Hardy only across zones 9 to 11, it overwinters outdoors only in the warmest gardens and runs as a summer annual or comes inside for the cold everywhere else.
Reward it with sun and it shines; soak its roots and it sulks. Hand it heat, bright light, and fast-draining soil, and it blooms full tilt straight through fall. Leave the roots sitting in soggy soil or let a cold snap catch it, though, and those flowers turn into yellow leaves and dropped buds.
Care
The short version: full sun and warmth, fast-draining soil so the roots never stew, a high-phosphorus bloom feed across the growing season, and gloves on every time you cut into the sappy stems.
Light
Dipladenia throws its best flowers in full sun, and the brighter the direct light, the more buds it pushes. It can scrape by in partial shade or bright indirect light indoors, but the wave of bloom drops off fast once strong sun goes missing.
Water
Hold the soil moist but never soggy all summer, letting the top of the pot dry out between drinks. This plant cannot stand wet feet and rots at the root when it sits waterlogged, so ease right off the watering in winter as growth slows.
Soil
Set it in rich, sharp-draining soil, whether a sandy blend with humus or a peat-based potting medium. It shrugs off the acidity question and grows fine anywhere from pH 6.0 to 8.0, but quick drainage counts for far more than hitting an exact number.
Temperature
It cruises happily between 45°F and 84°F (7°C to 29°C) and leans on steady warmth to keep the flowers coming. Nights under about 50°F (10°C) stall it, and frost finishes it off, so bring it in ahead of the chill.
Humidity
Dipladenia thrives on high humidity and protests dry air by handing itself over to spider mites indoors. Cluster it with other plants or perch it on a pebble tray through winter to hold moisture in the air around it.
Feeding
All through spring and summer, feed every two weeks with a high-phosphorus bloom fertilizer along the lines of a 10-20-10. That extra phosphorus drives flowers over leaf, which is precisely the trade you want here.
Pruning
Pinch out the tips of new shoots to keep it bushy and compact, then snip lightly to shape it and clear spent blooms. Slip on gloves for the work, since the cut stems weep an irritating milky sap.
Repotting
Bump it up a pot size every 1 to 2 years in spring. Roots winding out the drainage holes, water rushing straight through, or growth and flowering that have stalled all flag that the moment has come.
Size & spacing
12–59 in (30–150 cm) tall
When to plant
Dipladenia adores warmth and folds at the first frost. Keep it indoors or under cover until the cold has genuinely cleared and nights settle above about 50°F (10°C), then move it out for the season and watch it flower from early summer clear through fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: After all danger of frost has passed and nights stay above about 50 degrees F
- Harvest: Early summer through fall
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 9–11
Temperature: down to -7°C
Troubleshooting
Most dipladenia troubles land on the leaves, driven either by sap-sucking pests or by roots left too wet. Spot the first warning signs and the cure stays easy. Find the match below, then jump on it before it travels.
Pale, stippled leaves laced with fine webbing
Point the finger at spider mites, which love the hot, dry indoor air that greets a plant moved inside for winter. Flip a leaf and scout the underside for tiny crawling specks and threadlike webbing, or knock it over a sheet of white paper to spot them. Blast the foliage clean with water, follow up with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and crank the humidity so the mites give up and move on.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage with a strong spray of water
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating per label
- Raise humidity around the plant
Sticky residue and cottony white tufts clinging to stems and joints
That signature belongs to mealybugs or scale, and whitefly or aphids often crash the party too. Hunt through the leaf axils and stems for the fuzzy white pests, the hard motionless lumps of scale, or a puff of whiteflies that scatters when you nudge the plant. Touch small flare-ups with an alcohol-soaked swab, chase them with insecticidal soap or oil, and pull the plant away from its neighbors so nothing jumps across.
Fix:
- Wipe off light infestations with an alcohol-dipped cotton swab
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil and repeat as needed
- Isolate affected plants to prevent spread
Yellowing, wilting foliage and buds falling before they open
The usual culprit is root rot brewing in waterlogged soil, or a chilly draft that has rattled the plant. Tip it out of the pot and feel around: sound roots stay firm and pale, while rotting ones go brown and squishy. Let the top of the soil dry before the next watering, sort out the drainage, and park the plant somewhere warm above about 50°F (10°C) and well clear of cold drafts.
Fix:
- Let the top of the soil dry before watering again
- Improve drainage and ensure pots have drainage holes
- Move the plant to a warm spot above about 50 degrees F away from cold drafts
Tan to brown leaf spots that yellow out and let go
Meet anthracnose, a fungus that gets its grip when foliage stays wet for too long. Keep an eye out for tan to brown spots that creep outward, yellow the leaf, and eventually drop it. Pluck off the spotted leaves and bin them, keep water off the foliage entirely, and only reach for a labeled fungicide if the spots keep returning.
Fix:
- Remove and dispose of affected leaves
- Avoid overhead watering and keep foliage dry
- Apply a labeled fungicide if the problem persists
Toxicity
Handle this plant with a touch of caution. Every part runs with a milky latex sap that can sting skin and eyes and turn the stomach if chewed, and nothing on the plant is fit to eat. Glove up before you prune, and keep the foliage away from pets, livestock, and small children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
Chewing the leaves can leave a cat drooling and off its food, with the occasional bout of vomiting. It stays gentle and usually clears up without help.
Dogs Mild
A dog that mouths the leaves may drool, turn queasy, and bring something back up now and then. The fuss tends to fade quickly.
Horses Caution
The bitter milky sap puts most horses off, yet a mouthful can still sting the mouth and gut. Keep the plant clear of the paddock to play it safe.
Rabbits Caution
Skip this one for a rabbit entirely. That irritant latex can burn the mouth and churn the gut, so it stays off the menu.
Livestock Caution
Goats, sheep, and cattle seldom go for it, but the same sap can sting the mouth and digestion if they take a bite. Fence it well away from grazing animals.
Birds Caution
Nothing about the leaves or sap belongs near a pet bird, and the irritant latex could distress a small bird in a hurry. Keep it well out of reach.
People Caution
Not one part of this plant counts as food. The milky sap can redden and sting skin and burn the eyes, so glove up before pruning and keep curious children from biting it.
Wear gloves when pruning, as cut stems release a milky latex sap that can irritate skin and eyes; wash hands afterward and keep sap away from the face.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Nearly all dipladenia on shelves today traces back to a handful of breeding series, each chosen for compact, free-flowering plants that take happily to pots and baskets. These are the names you'll run into most.
'Rio' series
Bred tight and bushy for containers and baskets, this free-flowering Dipladenia type opens blooms in red, pink, and white.
'Sundaville' (Sun Parasol)
Ranging from mounding to trailing, this series flaunts glossy leaves and trumpet flowers right through summer, with compact picks built for hanging baskets and window boxes.
'Madinia' series
A well-branched, bushy Dipladenia type aimed at patios and pots, valued for outsized flowers set against dark glossy foliage.
How to propagate
Want more dipladenia from the plant you already own? Root a cutting or layer a stem while it stays attached. Both call for patience, and both ooze the same irritating sap, so keep the gloves within reach.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Spring to summer · 4 to 8 weeks to root
Snip tip cuttings from non-flowering shoots through spring or summer, and pull on gloves first because the cut ends weep an irritating milky sap. Settle them into a moist, well-drained medium with warmth and bright indirect light, and roots push out over the following 4 to 8 weeks.
LayeringModerate
Spring to summer · Several weeks to months
Through spring or summer, peg a low, bendy stem down against moist soil and let it root where it lies, a process that runs anywhere from several weeks to a few months. After the fresh roots take hold, sever the rooted piece from its parent.
Myths
Dipladenia and Mandevilla are separate plants altogether.
Both sit in the same genus, and Dipladenia is simply an old trade label for the bushier forms of Mandevilla sanderi. What sets them apart is growth habit: Dipladenia keeps to a bushy, mounding shape while plants sold under the Mandevilla name climb vigorously and reach a bigger size. Botanically they are one and the same, and the genus Mandevilla takes in everything once called Dipladenia.