Pink Dipladenia

Pink Dipladenia (Mandevilla sanderi 'Rosea') is the flowering climber for a warm courtyard or a pot beside the pool. It reaches about 2m with support and stays around 1m wide, so it climbs without the bulk of a full sized mandevilla. Pink trumpet flowers open from late spring and keep coming until the weather cools, set against glossy dark leaves that stay put all year.

Why you'll love it

• Months of flowering, not weeks. Pink trumpets appear in flushes from late spring through to autumn wherever nights stay mild.
• Compact for a climber. At roughly 2m by 1m it suits a small trellis, an obelisk in a pot or a balcony railing.
• Built for heat and humidity. Heat tolerant and humidity tolerant, which is what a north facing courtyard demands in February.
• Evergreen and glossy. The thick waxy foliage looks presentable between flushes, so it carries a pot through winter in warm gardens.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. This is the use it does best. A pot 400mm or wider with a small obelisk suits it, and a container lets you shift it under cover if cold threatens.

Balconies and courtyards. Give it the brightest position available and something to twine on, because it climbs by twining rather than clinging.

Poolside and feature planting. The leathery leaves cope with reflected heat and glare, and it drops little litter around paving.

Growing Pink Dipladenia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to bright part shade, sheltered from wind. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. Being frost tender, in Melbourne, Canberra or Adelaide it needs a pot that moves to a warm verandah over winter.

Soil. Free draining above all else. Improve heavy soil with compost and coarse sand, or plant on a raised mound. In pots, never leave it standing in a full saucer.

Water and feed. Water when the top few centimetres dry out, and ease back in winter. Feed a controlled release fertiliser for flowering plants in early spring, then liquid feed monthly.

Pruning. Cut back by about a third in early spring before growth starts, since flowers form on new wood. The milky sap is toxic and irritates skin, so wear gloves.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten and 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Both arrive as young plants, typically 20cm to 40cm of growth with the first stems ready to twine, not as a filled out trellis. That is normal for this plant.

Some leaf yellowing after a few days in a box is a transport response rather than a fault. Pot it up promptly and give it a fortnight in a bright sheltered spot. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect first flowers the same season, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Tropical plants that suit a poolside setting
• Compare climbing plants for trellises and fences
• Browse plants selected for poolside gardens
• Plants that perform well in containers

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The milky sap is toxic if chewed or swallowed and can cause a rash on contact. Keep it raised away from pets that chew foliage, and wash your hands after pruning.

Will it survive a frost?

Not an open one. It is frost tender, so in cool temperate gardens grow it in a pot and move it somewhere warm before winter. In frost free gardens it stays outside year round.

Why has mine stopped flowering?

Usually too little light, too much nitrogen, or no spring prune. Flowers form on new growth, so a cut back by a third in early spring plus a sunny position normally fixes it.