Aloha White Mandevilla

Aloha White Mandevilla (Mandevilla 'Aloha White') is the climber to use when you need height in almost no floor space. It twines to about 3m on a frame while staying around 1m wide, carrying broad white trumpet flowers through the warm months against dark glossy foliage. Give it a trellis and it will cover it in a single season.

Why you'll love it

• Height without width. Roughly 3m tall and 1m wide, so it screens a balcony where a shrub would take the entire space.
• White flowers for months. Large clean trumpets keep coming through the warm season rather than arriving in one burst.
• Fast growing. A plant put in during spring covers its frame by the end of summer.
• Heat, humidity and salt are fine. Hot brick courtyards and seaside balconies both suit it.
• Pollinators visit it. Bees and butterflies work the open trumpets all season.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A container 400mm or wider with a built in trellis is the classic way to grow it. Potted plants settle around 2m rather than 3m, which is usually what a balcony wants.

Light screening. Along a wire frame or lattice panel, set plants 1m apart to match their mature width. That gives continuous cover without the stems tangling into an unprunable mass.

Feature planting. Trained up an obelisk or over an archway it works as a vertical accent, flowering at eye height.

Growing Aloha White Mandevilla in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to very light shade, with shelter from cold wind. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so further south grow it in a pot that can move under cover for winter.

Soil and support. Free draining, compost enriched soil or a quality potting mix. It twines rather than clinging, so it cannot climb a bare wall: install the trellis before planting, and tie the first few stems in until they take hold.

Water and feed. Keep it evenly moist through spring and summer, particularly in pots, where it dries out quickly on a hot balcony. Ease right back in winter. Feed a liquid fertiliser for flowering plants every three to four weeks.

Pruning. Prune in late winter or early spring before growth starts, cutting back by up to a third to force new shoots from low down. It flowers on new growth, so this trim increases the display. Cut stems weep a milky sap, so wear gloves.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in two sizes: 140mm pots in packs of ten and 200mm pots in packs of six. The 140mm plants are young, usually a short stem or two, and they suit a group of balcony pots. The 200mm plants are more advanced and fill a frame a season sooner.

Climbers travel with their stems bundled, so expect them to look untidy when you unpack them. Untie, tie in to the frame, and they straighten within a fortnight. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plant in spring and expect real coverage by the end of the first summer. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full climbing plant range
• Compare plants suited to balconies
• How to choose the right pot size
• Ideas for planting a small courtyard

Common questions

Does it need a trellis?

Yes. It is a twining climber with no aerial roots or suckers, so it cannot attach to a bare wall. Put the support in place before planting and tie the first stems on.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The stems carry a milky sap that irritates skin and mouths, so keep it out of reach of pets that chew foliage and wear gloves when you prune.

Will it survive winter in a cold garden?

Not in the ground. It is frost tender. Further south, grow it in a pot and shift it under eaves before the first frost.