# Mandevilla
**Mandevilla** is a genus of tropical, perennial shrubs and vines in the dogbane family ([Apocynaceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/apocynaceae)), native from Mexico to tropical America, grown for its large trumpet-shaped summer flowers in red, pink, white, cream, and yellow.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A328998-2) • [2](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/mandevilla/) The genus was first published in John Lindley's *Edwards's Botanical Register* in 1840 and is a conserved name; the older horticultural name **Dipladenia**, published by Alphonse de Candolle in 1844, is now treated as a synonym, though it survives as a marketing label for compact, bushy cultivars.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A328998-2)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Taxonomy | Genus *Mandevilla* Lindl., family Apocynaceae, first published 1840, nom. cons.; 183 accepted species[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A328998-2) |
| Native range | Mexico to tropical America, from Arizona and Texas south to Argentina; introduced into southeast China[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A328998-2) |
| Growth forms | About 170 species, 119 of them climbers; vining cultivars reach 8–15 ft, compact ones 2–4 ft[3](https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/apocynaceae.pdf) • [4](https://lifetips.alibaba.com/plant-care/mandevilla-vs-dipladenia) |
| Season growth | Stems of large varieties can reach up to twenty feet in a single season[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/) |
| Light and heat | Full sun (6+ hours of direct light) to bloom reliably; keep above 21°C (70°F) in the growing season[4](https://lifetips.alibaba.com/plant-care/mandevilla-vs-dipladenia) • [6](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mandevilla) |
| Winter limits | Winter temperatures below 10°C (50°F) may kill the plant; bring indoors before frost[6](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mandevilla) • [7](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/mandevilla/winterizing-mandevillas.htm) |
| Safety | Milky sap irritates skin and may be toxic if ingested; wear gloves when pruning[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/) |
## Taxonomy and distribution
Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts 183 species in the genus and lists 13 synonyms, of which *Dipladenia* A.DC. (1844) is the one gardeners encounter most often.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A328998-2) The species count has grown with study: a first systematic classification in 1933 recognized 108 species, while Kew reported 179 by 2021, and only about 50 had been molecularly characterized in public databases at that time.[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9426028/) A Smithsonian guide to neotropical lianas describes the genus as about 170 species, 119 of them climbers, distributed from Mexico to northern Argentina.[3](https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/apocynaceae.pdf) Brazil hosts numerous native species, whose habitats span lowland rainforest, montane cloud forest, coastal dunes, and rocky outcrops at elevations from sea level up to roughly 2,000 m.[2](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/mandevilla/) • [9](https://plantaedb.com/taxa/phylum/angiosperms/order/gentianales/family/apocynaceae/tribe/mesechiteae/genus/mandevilla)
## Mandevilla and Dipladenia
The two names describe forms of the same flowering group rather than separate plants in cultivation. The compact, bushier mandevillas sold as dipladenia were once considered a separate genus (Dipladenia spp.) but are now placed back in Mandevilla.[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/) Growth habit is the practical distinction: vining cultivars such as 'Alice du Pont' twine up supports and reach 8–15 ft tall, while compact cultivars such as Sun Parasol® 'Pink' or Rio® 'Scarlet' grow 2–4 ft tall and wide with weakly twining or non-twining stems, suiting them to containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets.[4](https://lifetips.alibaba.com/plant-care/mandevilla-vs-dipladenia) Flower size, color intensity, and leaf texture vary more by cultivar and environment than by which label the plant carries.[4](https://lifetips.alibaba.com/plant-care/mandevilla-vs-dipladenia)
Commercial breeding has kept both names in circulation: the Rio, Sun Parasol, and Madinia series are marketed variously as dipladenia or mandevilla depending on region and series.[10](https://leafyheaven.com.au/difference-between-mandevilla-and-dipladenia/)
## Cultivation
Mandevilla needs full sun to flower well; a compact cultivar in deep shade becomes leggy and flower-poor just like a vining one.[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/) • [4](https://lifetips.alibaba.com/plant-care/mandevilla-vs-dipladenia) The RHS advises warmth of at least 21°C (70°F) during spring and summer, humidity, and bright light; plants kept below that temperature may fail to flower, and winter temperatures below 10°C (50°F) may cause their demise. In winter the plant prefers drier conditions and slightly cooler temperatures of 10–15°C (50–60°F).[6](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mandevilla)
**Pruning and training.** Vining types climb by twining stems and need a trellis or arbor; pinching tips of new shoots promotes bushier growth, and the plant tolerates pruning well.[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/) When pruning, watch for the milky sap, which can irritate skin and may be toxic if ingested.[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/) The plants have no serious disease or insect problems but are occasionally bothered by scale and mealybugs.[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/)
**Overwintering.** In cold climates the plant is grown as an annual or brought indoors before the first frost, ideally when temperatures are consistently below 60°F (15°C). Two methods are used: growing it as a houseplant at 60–70°F (15–21°C) in bright indirect light with weekly watering, though it will not bloom in winter, or keeping it dormant. Because vines can grow up to 10 feet (3 m) in a single season, pruning to a manageable size is part of moving the plant indoors.[7](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/mandevilla/winterizing-mandevillas.htm)
## Notable species and cultivars
Four mandevillas hold the [Royal Horticultural Society](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-horticultural-society)'s Award of Garden Merit: white-flowered *Mandevilla boliviensis*, pink *M. splendens* and *M. × amabilis* 'Alice du Pont', and the fragrant *M. laxa* (Chilean jasmine).[6](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mandevilla) *M. boliviensis* is a favorite of many gardeners, and a few yellow-flowering vines sold as "yellow mandevilla" are technically different plants (*Urichtes lutea* or *Pentilinon luteum*).[5](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/)
The Sun Parasol® series, bred by the Japanese company Suntory Flowers and introduced in 2003, crosses multiple Mandevilla species and is divided into groups by habit: the compact Original Group, the large-flowered vigorous Giant Group, the densely branching Pretty Group, and the shrubby Designer Group that needs no staking.[11](https://suntoryflowers.com/sunparasol/) Cultivar performance is tracked in university trials; in the [University of Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-georgia)'s 2026 program, for example, Sun Parasol® 'Giant Peach Sunrise' scored 4.88 and 'FiredUp Coral' 4.69 on a 1-to-5 scale that combines flower count, leaf color, uniformity, and pest resistance.[12](https://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.main/alphaChange/1/alphaKey/M-O/whichName/genus/trialYear/2026/index.htm)
## References
1. [Mandevilla Lindl., Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A328998-2)
2. [Mandevilla, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/mandevilla/)
3. [Guide to the Genera of Lianas and Climbing Plants: Apocynaceae, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History](https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/apocynaceae.pdf)
4. [Mandevilla vs Dipladenia: Same Genus, Different Growth Habits](https://lifetips.alibaba.com/plant-care/mandevilla-vs-dipladenia)
5. [Mandevilla, Gardening Solutions, University of Florida IFAS](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/mandevilla/)
6. [Mandevilla, RHS Plant Guide](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mandevilla)
7. [Mandevilla Winter Care, Gardening Know How](https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/mandevilla/winterizing-mandevillas.htm)
8. [First genomic insights into the Mandevilla genus, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9426028/)
9. [Genus Mandevilla, PlantaeDB](https://plantaedb.com/taxa/phylum/angiosperms/order/gentianales/family/apocynaceae/tribe/mesechiteae/genus/mandevilla)
10. [Mandevilla vs Dipladenia: Key Differences & Care Guide, Leafy Heaven](https://leafyheaven.com.au/difference-between-mandevilla-and-dipladenia/)
11. [SunParasol® Mandevilla, Suntory Flowers](https://suntoryflowers.com/sunparasol/)
12. [Trial Results, University of Georgia Plant Trials](https://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.main/alphaChange/1/alphaKey/M-O/whichName/genus/trialYear/2026/index.htm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Cultivars and cultivated forms › Ornamental plant cultivars › Garden and houseplant genera cultivars*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license