Dipladenias are popular spring plants that add a splash of color to outdoor spaces. These tropical plants display lush foliage and trumpet-shaped flowers.
They grow in a variety of settings, from hanging baskets, and climbing up a trellis to garden beds. For your Dipladenia plant to thrive, knowing how to care for it is important.
Dipladenia’s common names include rock trumpet, Brazilian jasmine, or Chilean jasmine, and fall under the genus Mandevilla. The difference between Dipladenia and Mandevilla Vine is in their growth habit.
The spring favorite Mandevilla vine has a vertical growth habit. The Dipladenia plant is a bushy plant with downward, hanging growth.
The Dipladenia bush is a perennial, flowering evergreen plant in warm-winter locations and a member of the Apocynaceae family (Dogbane).
These flowering tropical vines originate from Brazil – specifically Rio de Janeiro. They are found in Central and South America, the Southwest United States, the West Indies, and Mexico.
Dipladenia Bush & Plant Quick Care Tips
- Botanical Name: Dipladenia spp.
- Common Name(s): Dipladenia, Brazilian Jasmine, Mandevilla
- Synonyms: Mandevilla spp.
- Pronunciation: Dy-pla-DEE-nee-uh
- Family & Origin: Apocynaceae family, native to Central and South America
- Growability: Easy to grow
- Grow Zone: USDA zones 9-11
- Size: Can grow up to 10′ feet tall
- Flowering: Blooms from spring to fall with trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, and white
- Light: Full sun to partial shade 6 hours of direct sunlight daily recommended
- Humidity: Prefers moderate humidity
- Temperature: Thrives in warm temperatures between 60-80°F
- Soil: Well-draining soil with organic matter
- Water: Keep soil moist but not waterlogged
- Fertilizer: Feed with a slow-release fertilizer in the early spring.
- Pests & Diseases: Susceptible to spider mites, whiteflies, and mealybugs. Can also be affected by root rot and fungal diseases.
- Propagation: Can be propagated through stem cuttings or layering
- Plant Uses: Great for adding color to trellises, fences, and containers. Can also be used as a houseplant.
The most popular species is Dipladenia sanderi (Mandevilla sanderi). It is a woody climbing plant with shiny, opposite, elliptic leaves, trumpet-shaped flowers, and pink with an orange throat.
The bright, colorful appearance and attractive growth habit make the Dipladenia flowering plants an ideal choice for your garden or as a houseplant.
Rio Dipladenia Care
Size and Growth
Due to its tropical plant nature, it can flower for most of the year, even in cooler areas.
But it will have a shorter flowering period in such temperatures.
Dipladenia bush has an upward growth to a certain level, after which it droops over the side of potted plants or hanging baskets and begins to trail downwards.
Dipladenia foliage is typically glossy, deep green, and leathery in texture. The leaves are lance-shaped, elliptical, and can be up to 5″ inches long.
You can train your plant to have a bushy growth by giving the plant support at the base and pinching out new growth.
Encourage the climbing growth habit by winding the plant around a taller structure like a trellis as it grows.
Rio Dipladenia is a hardy plant in warm climates and is recommended for USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12. It can also be overwintered indoors.
Is a Dipladenia an annual or perennial?
Dipladenia typically grows as an annual in colder climates and is moved indoors during the winter months. In warmer climates where temperatures don’t drop below freezing, it grows as a perennial.
Related: More on Overwintering Mandevilla
Dipladenia Flower and Fragrance
Dipladenia Rio plants are bushy plants characterized by small, pointy green leaves with a slight, gloss-like sheen to them and are a shade of deep green.
It also has smaller, tube-shaped flowers in comparison to Mandevilla flowers. Blooms range from white flowers to pink and red with a soft fragrance.
Light and Temperature
Rock trumpet plants are not one to shy away from the full sun (6 hours of direct sunlight daily) and do not need high humidity. However, in extremely hot climates (70° degrees Fahrenheit plus), they will benefit from some light shade over direct sunlight.
When you grow Dipladenia flowers indoors, keep the plant in a sunny window.
It is not a very cold hardy plant. It requires warmer nighttime temperatures ranging from 65° to 70° degrees Fahrenheit.
It can be overwintered indoors if the temperatures are falling too low.
Related: Details on Overwintering Mandevilla and Dipladenia
Watering and Feeding
For the best Dipladenia care, remember these tropical plants require frequent watering, especially when growing in full sun during the summer months.
- Be careful not to overwater, or else you will risk root rot setting in.
- Let the soil dry out between watering, and apply a layer of mulch for extra drainage.
- This plant is also tolerant of some occasional drought conditions due to the roots’ ability to store water.
- Dipladenia does not require a lot of feeding. Feed with a slow-release fertilizer in the early spring.
- Or feed once or twice a month at most during the growing season using good liquid plant food.
- Do not feed during winter.
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Soil and Transplanting
Mandevilla plant / Dipladenia will require good, well-drained potting soil.
A potting mix with good insulation and moisture will keep the plant from needing frequent transplanting.
When transplanting Dipladenia Mandevilla, try to retain as much of the roots as you can.
If transplanting a fully grown plant, ideally, use a larger container so the plant has more space to grow.
In the case of transplanting the Dipladenia plant in the garden, the hole should be as deep as the plant’s root ball but much wider.
This allows the roots ample space to spread.
Grooming and Maintenance
How do you make a dipladenia bushy?
To make Dipladenia bushier, prune tips back at the leaf node in the spring or fall.
Pruning encourages new shoots to grow and helps create a fuller, more compact appearance.
Prune above a leaf node or a lateral stem to encourage branching and create a fuller, bushier, more compact plant. It’s recommended to prune after the plant has finished flowering or in early spring.
When pruning the Dipladenia flowering annual shrub, use sharp, clean pruning shears.
Additionally, pinch off stem tips to encourage more lateral branches. Regular liquid fertilizer can also help to promote bushier growth.
Finally, give the dipladenia plant adequate sunlight and proper watering to encourage healthy, vigorous growth.
How To Propagate and Grow Dipladenia?
Dipladenia propagation is done from vine cuttings.
- Remove a mature vine and strip off the leaves around it.
- Wash off the sap that may leak from the cutting
- Dip the cut vine stem into the rooting hormone.
- Once the cut is dry, place it into a prepared container or pot.
- Position the newly planted vine in a warm location with plenty of light.
If outdoors, a greenhouse is an ideal location, or an eastward-facing window if it’s being kept indoors.
Make sure to keep the soil moist by spraying it lightly until the Mandevilla dipladenia takes root.
Dipladenia Bugs, Pest and Disease Problems
Dipladenias are susceptible to spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids.
For more, read our article on Getting Rid of Aphids on Mandevilla.
- These can be handled by spraying insecticide soap on the pests.
- There is also a chance your dipladenia perennial will develop fungal diseases.
- These can be handled fairly easily by using a fungicide to contain the spread.
- Be careful when handling Dipladenia, as their vines contain a skin-irritating sap.
- Wear gloves while handling the plant.
Mealybugs are small, white, cottony pests that hide in the leaf axils and along the stems. They cause yellowing leaves and stunted growth.
Control mealybugs by dabbing them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol and spraying with Neem oil or insecticidal soap. When applying, always follow the labeled instructions.
Details on Poisonous Mandevilla Plant
Suggested Dipladenia Uses
Rio flowers are great plants to use both as an ornamental indoor plant or in direct sunlight or full sun as a garden accent for container gardening on a deck and on patios.
Its bright colors are conducive to attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.