Hi! I recently bought a plant called (by the nursery) "Diplandia". It has bright red flowers that look similar to a yellow mandevilla I use to have (pre hurricanes!). Is this in fact a mandevilla? Also, is there a vining version and a bush version???? I thought I was buying the vine but realized when I got home that it looks more like a shrub and and it wasn't "vining".
I've attached a picture... it's the plant on the far left of the pic
Dipladenia is an old name for Mandevilla, that looks like what you have. I think they all tend to be viney to some extent, but I think there are some that you can keep a little shrubbier if you want to. But my guess is once this one starts growing you'll find that if you want it to be a vine you can train it that way.
We just got a huge load of tropicals in yesterday at the garden center & we had some of these, too-I was amazed, I've never seen a red mandevilla before! They were so gorgeous, my boss grabbed several to take home with her...
Thanks ecrane!
Yup, Thistle5.... I was amazed at the deep red color! Knew I had to have it!!
Dipladenia is not a Mandevilla. The mandevillas have leathery leaves and larger flowers, the dipladenias have smaller, smoother leaves, smaller flowers, and tend to grow bushier. My personal favorites are the dipladenias.
They are all in the same genus now, I'm not sure if Dipladenia used to be separate from Mandevilla and they were combined or if the name just changed, but they are all classified as Mandevilla now.
I love the Red Riding hood. Mine was a big hit with the hummingbirds last summer.
Here's a link that explains a bit about the differences between dipladenias and mandevillas. http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/dipladenia.htm
I tried to overwinter mine in the garage, but I don't think I was successful. It was a beauty.
Thanks everyone! I'm just trying to figure out where to plant it. I don't want to plant it near my trellis if it is not the vining type. I think I'll just try to grow it as a bush. If it seems to want to vine later, then I can put another trellis wherever I decide to put it.
I've grown both Red Riding Hood and Alice du Pont mandevilla and the Red Riding Hood definately does not grow or vine and climb like the hot pink Alice du Pont. RRH is slower to grow and establish blooms and AdP ia so fast growing and blooms prolifically here. I plant it in an old wheelbarrow next to my mailbox every year and people stop in the street to comment on how pretty it is. This is how it grows here, every region is different, we are almost tropical here. RRH is shorter and bushier and very pretty also, I'm just partial to that bright pink mandevilla, beautiful!!!!
Thanks pinky! Mine is doing great, but you are right... it's not a viner!
I ended up getting a big one & a little one-my boss says they are good container plants, need lots of sun, water, fertilizer, & they 'are not a pretty sight' to try & overwinter. We'll see how it goes...
thistle5 - Mine definitely gets lots of sun... not much water lately!! I haven't found a spot for it yet, but when I do, it's going into the ground. Container plants here in FL, especially during a drought, take too much time to care for (i.e., water!) :-)
