Alice du Pont Mandevilla
Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont'
flowerAlice du Pont is the classic mandevilla, a glamorous tropical vine grown for its big, glossy, trumpet-shaped pink flowers. It is a woody, twining evergreen climber that can reach twenty feet in the ground in the tropics but stays a manageable three to five feet in a container, and from spring through fall it produces a steady show of pure pink, flared, two to four inch flowers among lush, leathery green leaves. Loved for window boxes, patio pots, hanging baskets, and trellises, mandevilla blooms tirelessly through heat and humidity. It is a tender tropical that is grown as a container or annual plant in most of the country and overwintered indoors, since it cannot take temperatures much below the mid-forties.
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
Every 6 days
🌸
Bloom
~60 days
📊
Difficulty
medium
🌱
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
↔️
Spacing
2-3 ft apart (or one per large container)
⬇️
Planting Depth
Set the root ball level with the soil surface; provide a support to climb
🧪
Soil pH
6.0-7.0
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, sandy, humus-amended, well-drained
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10 – 13
When to Fertilize
Every few weeks through the growing season
Fertilizer
Balanced bloom fertilizer
🌱 Growing Guide
Grow mandevilla in full sun for the best flowering - it needs strong light to bloom well, though in the hottest climates a little afternoon shade is fine - in rich, sandy, humus-amended, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist but never soggy. It is a true tropical, hardy in the ground only in zones 10 to 11 where it stays evergreen year-round; everywhere colder it is grown as a container plant or annual, since its minimum tolerable temperature is about 45 to 50 degrees and it grows best at 65 to 70. Give it a trellis or support to twine up, feed lightly through the growing season for continuous bloom, and water regularly in heat. To overwinter, bring the pot indoors before cold nights, cut it back, and keep it in a bright, warm spot, watering sparingly until spring.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care, and they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Planting Calendar
Sign in to personalize →🌿
Direct sow
Apr 15
🌸
Projected first bloom
Jun 14
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Bougainvillea: A fellow sun-loving tropical vine with matching heat and light needs for a vivid container or trellis duo
- Lantana: A heat-tough flowering companion at the base that draws butterflies in the same full sun
- Sweet Potato Vine: A trailing foliage plant that spills from the same pot and contrasts the upright mandevilla
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Cluster on tender new growth and buds - rinse off with water and encourage ladybugs
White cottony clusters in leaf joints, common on plants brought indoors - dab with rubbing alcohol or rinse off and treat with horticultural oil
Stipple leaves with fine webbing in hot, dry indoor air - raise humidity, rinse the foliage, and keep the plant from drought stress
Bumps on stems and leaves that drip honeydew - prune out heavy infestations and treat with horticultural oil
🌸 Blooms & cutting
Mandevilla is grown for nonstop container and trellis color rather than for cutting. It is self-cleaning and needs no deadheading, blooming on its own from spring to frost; an occasional pinch of the growing tips keeps it bushy and full. The main seasonal task in cold climates is overwintering: before the first cold nights, cut the vine back, pot it if it is not already potted, and move it to a bright, warm indoor spot, watering sparingly until growth resumes in spring. Wear gloves when cutting it, since the milky sap can irritate skin.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
A purely ornamental tropical vine grown for its big, glossy pink trumpet flowers all season long in pots, baskets, and on trellises. The flowers offer some nectar to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, but mandevilla is grown above all for its tireless, glamorous bloom through heat and humidity.
⚠️ Toxicity & safety
Mandevilla is in the dogbane family and exudes a milky sap when cut that can irritate the skin and eyes, and eating the plant may cause mild stomach upset in pets and people. It is fine to grow and handle with care - wear gloves when pruning and wash the sap off skin, and keep pets from chewing it.
For educational and informational purposes only. HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.