Sun Parasol® Sunbeam Mandevilla

You might still be using the old name ‘Dipladenia’ for the Sun Parasol® Sunbeam Mandevilla, which is a bushy plant that blooms continuously from late spring into the fall. Very easy to grow, and thriving in heat and humidity, it’s the modern way to have summer plants that look like small shrubs, and never stop blooming. You can easily overwinter the plant if you live in a colder zone, and plant it out again next spring, when the last frost is over. The product of intensive breeding, what was once a large vine is now a compact bush, so continuously full of blooms you won’t believe your eyes. The flowers are tubular, but with a broad, flat face of 5 overlapping petals, and they are large, over 3 ½ inches across. A wonderful glowing yellow – a new color-break in Mandevilla – the central throat varies in color from light orange to deep orange-red, depending on the age of the flower and the growing conditions. Use it for pots and planter boxes – it’s great in window boxes or surrounding potted trees. It often attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. A wonderful summer plant, like sunrays landed in your garden.

• Beautiful golden-yellow flowers with an orange throat
• Compact, bushy plant with glossy green leaves
• Continuous, abundant flowering from June to October
• Loves the heat and humidity of the southeast
• Superb and constantly in bloom in planters, pots, and window boxes

The Sun Parasol® Sunbeam Mandevilla should be planted in full sun, for maximum blooming, although it will take a couple of hours of shade without trouble. Plant it in a well-drained soil of any kind, and in containers just use regular potting soil. Feed with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants and you will enjoy bushy growth and abundant, continuous flowering. It doesn’t need dead-heading, flowers just drop away. Deer and rabbits won’t eat it and it never seems to have any pest or disease problems. Although drought tolerant, it does best with regular watering when the tip inch of the pot is dry. In fall, when frost threatens, place in smaller pots if necessary and bring indoors, to a bright place, for winter. Trim back in spring and replant after the last frost, as you would annual flowers.