Gerald L. Klingaman
Family
Apocynaceae
Botanical Name
MANDEVILLA x amabilis 'Alice du Pont'
Plant Common Name
Alice du Pont Mandevilla, Mandevilla
General Description
The classic hybrid Mandevilla‘Alice du Pont’ offers an abundance of large, showy, radiant pink flowers all season long. This timeless Longwood cultivar is one of the most popular mandevillas in cultivation and was named for the wife of Longwood's founder, Samuel DuPont.
Grown for its spectacular blooms, this showy vine is a popular choice for warm gardens and containers. Mandevilla x amabilis is a hybrid of the showy Brazilian native, Mandevilla splendens (plus an unknown second parent), and produces an abundance of large, showy flowers. The plants are evergreen, frost tender and woody.
The vining stems of hybrid Mandevilla are lined with deep green leaves that are glossy, oval and held opposite to each other. When broken, the leaves emit milky sap. Fabulous bell or funnel-shaped with five broad, spreading petal lobes are produced when weather is warm and accommodating. The fragrant flowers are borne in clusters and may be red, pink or white with yellow throats.
These vigorous vines are perfect for archways and trellises in the garden but work as interior plants provided they receive ample sunlight, water and air circulation. Outside they prefer full to partial sun and moist, well-drained soil. Where not hardy, they are best grown in containers which can be moved indoors to a bright warm spot to overwinter. They are magnets for mealybugs and aphids, so check often for infestations, particularly when grown indoors.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
10 - 15
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Vine/Liana
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
15'-20' / 4.6m - 6.1m
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Bloom Time
Indeterminate
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Native To
Hybrid Origin
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Yellow, Pink
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Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Dark Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green, Dark Green
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Bark Color
Brown
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
Yes
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Smooth
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Usage
Container, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical, Vine
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Hummingbirds
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Self-Sowing
No
