The Alice du Pont mandevilla vine also known as Mandevilla ‘Alice du Pont’, is a popular varietal of mandevilla known for its stunning bright pink flowers. With its tropical origins mandevilla makes for an excellent houseplant that can add vibrant colors and interest to any indoor space.
Growing the Alice du Pont mandevilla vine indoors may seem challenging, but it is very achievable if you understand the plant’s needs and care requirements. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through everything you need to know to successfully grow a thriving Alice du Pont mandevilla vine indoors.
Overview of Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine
The Alice du Pont mandevilla is a woody evergreen vine that can grow up to 20 feet tall in its natural outdoor habitat. Its oval-shaped green leaves can grow up to 6 inches long, providing a nice backdrop for its showy pink trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom from late spring through early fall
This mandevilla variety is named after Alice du Pont, the American horticulturist who helped popularize mandevillas as houseplants. It thrives in warm humid conditions and bright indirect light, much like its native tropical climate With the right care, the Alice du Pont mandevilla makes a wonderful flowering houseplant
Getting Started with Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine
When getting started with Alice du Pont mandevilla vine, there are a few important factors to consider:
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Purchase: Buy a young, healthy plant from a nursery or greenhouse. Avoid plants with yellowing leaves or signs of pests/disease.
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Pot: Select a pot at least 10-14 inches wide with drainage holes. Use a quality potting mix for containers.
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Support: Provide a strong support structure like a trellis for the vine to climb on.
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Light: Place near a south or west window for bright indirect light.
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Temperature: Ideal range is 65-80°F. Avoid cold drafts.
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Humidity: Maintain 50-60% humidity. Increase through misting and pebble trays.
How to Care for Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine
Caring for your Alice du Pont mandevilla vine properly will ensure your plant stays healthy and blooms beautifully:
Watering
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Water when the top 1-2 inches of soil become dry. Avoid overwatering.
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Water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom holes. Dump any excess water in saucer.
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Reduce watering frequency in winter when plant is dormant.
Light
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Place in bright indirect sunlight near a south or west window.
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Avoid direct hot sunlight which can scorch leaves.
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Supplement with a grow light in winter or low light conditions.
Temperature & Humidity
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Ideal temperature range is 65-80°F during the day and above 60°F at night.
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Increase humidity to 50-60% through misting, pebble trays with water, and humidifiers.
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Avoid cold drafts from windows, vents, or air conditioning.
Fertilizer
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Fertilize every 2-3 weeks in the spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
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Discontinue fertilizer in the fall and winter when plant is dormant.
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Flush soil periodically to prevent salt buildup.
Support & Training
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Provide a strong support structure like a trellis for tendrils to climb on.
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Gently train tendrils onto support and use plant ties if needed.
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Pinch back long vines to encourage bushy, compact growth.
Pruning
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Prune in late winter to remove any dead, damaged or overgrown stems.
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Pruning stimulates branching and flowering on new growth.
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Shape and restrict size as needed to fit indoor space.
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Remove spent flowers to prolong blooming.
Repotting
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Repot every 2-3 years in the spring to refresh soil and provide more room.
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Move to a pot only 1-2 inches larger to avoid overpotting.
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Use well-draining potting mix amended with compost.
Pest & Disease Control
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Inspect regularly for common pests like aphids, mealybugs, spider mites.
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Treat with horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps. Isolate infected plants.
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Improve air circulation and reduce humidity to prevent diseases.
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Remove diseased, yellowing leaves promptly to prevent spreading.
Tips for Growing a Healthy Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine
Follow these tips to ensure your Alice du Pont mandevilla houseplant grows vigorously and blooms abundantly:
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Acclimate new plants gradually before moving to final location.
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Mist leaves frequently and use pebble trays to increase humidity.
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Rotate the plant periodically to promote even growth on all sides.
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Remove any dead or damaged leaves/stems promptly.
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Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during growth period.
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Apply worm castings or compost as top-dressing to enrich soil.
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Wipe leaves with wet cloth periodically to keep dust-free.
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Avoid repotting or pruning during active growth periods.
Common Problems With Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine
Here are some common problems you may encounter and how to fix them:
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Leggy growth: Increase light exposure, use grow lights, pinch back tips.
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Leaf drop: Usually due to overwatering, underwatering, or low humidity.
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Few blooms: Increase light, fertilize regularly, prune to stimulate new growth.
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Wilting: Check for pests, improve watering habits, or repot if rootbound.
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Leaf spots/discoloration: Can indicate fungal disease or bacteria. Improve airflow and isolate plant.
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Pests: Treat mealybugs, aphids, mites with removal and natural methods. Reduce humidity.
Overwintering Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine Indoors
The Alice du Pont mandevilla can be overwintered successfully indoors with proper care:
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Provide cool temps of 50-60°F and reduce watering frequency.
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Prune back vines by 1/3 and clean up plant debris.
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Slowly increase light levels and temperatures in spring.
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Resume regular watering and fertilizing when new growth appears.
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Repot in fresh potting mix if roots are congested or potbound.
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Move back to original location with plenty of light exposure.
Potting Up Tips
When it’s time to repot your Alice du Pont mandevilla into a larger container, follow these tips:
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Carefully remove from current pot and loosen any circled roots.
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Prune back vines by 1/3 to compensate for reduced root mass.
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Select a pot that is 1-2 inches larger than the current size.
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Fill new pot with fresh, well-draining potting mix.
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Place plant in new pot at the same level it was originally growing.
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Firm the soil gently around the roots and water thoroughly.
Enjoying Your Alice du Pont Mandevilla Vine
With the proper care, your Alice du Pont mandevilla vine will reward you for years to come with glossy green foliage and showy pink blooms. Place it in an entryway, on a balcony or patio, or any bright spot in your home to enjoy its tropical beauty indoors.
The key is providing warm temperatures, humid conditions, bright filtered light, consistent watering and fertilization during the growing season. Avoid overwatering, sudden temperature changes, and direct hot sunlight.
Trim back unruly vines as needed and check frequently for pests. Repot every few years into fresh soil. Overwinter in a cool spot with reduced watering.
Follow this complete indoor growing guide and you’ll have a thriving Alice du Pont mandevilla vine that flowers abundantly in your home.
Grow mandevilla in a colorful container
When your flower border starts to fade, add color fast with a flashy container of mandevilla. Train it on a small obelisk and it’ll give you height and color. Look how this blue pot of Sun Parasol® Giant White mandevilla takes your attention away from the fading spirea (Spiraea spp. & hybrids) blooms behind it and adds height to the lower growing salvias (Salvia farinacea).
Use mandevilla in a hanging basket
Buy a small cultivar, such as the mounding deep magenta vine in the photo above, and you may find yourself using mandevilla in an unexpected way. With summer-long blooming tendencies to rival any bedding annual, a smaller cultivar of mandevilla makes a fine addition to a hanging basket. And at 18 to 36 inches long, the mounding form won’t overtake its companions. Here, a 1-gallon pot of mandevilla was added to a burgundy alternanthera (Alternanthera hybrid) and variegated airplane plant (Chlorophytum comosum Variegatum), each in a 4-inch pot.
Alice Dupont Mandevilla
FAQ
Can mandevilla be grown as a houseplant?
How do you keep mandevilla alive indoors?
How do I get my mandevilla to bloom indoors?
How often to water mandevilla indoors?
How do you grow a Mandevilla plant?
Dip in rooting hormone and plant in a well-draining potting mix. When starting from seeds, use fresh seeds. Wait until they dry on the plant, then harvest the seeds, soak them in water overnight, and plant them in well-draining soil. Initially, all mandevillas were climbing and vining plants, but now some of them have more of a shrub shape.
Can Mandevilla grow indoors?
This plant has particular needs and growing mandevilla vine indoors can take some space. The vine is hardy to USDA zone 9, which means you need to grow mandevilla as a houseplant during the fall and winter in cooler climes. In nature the vines twine around any available edifice or support and can grow up to 30 feet (9 m.) in length.
Do Mandevillas need a trellis?
Vining varieties benefit from a trellis or other support. If you plan to overwinter the plant indoors, plant it in a container with drainage holes and filled with all-purpose potting soil. As far as care goes for these plants, mandevillas are low maintenance. Mandevilla needs 6 to 8 hours of full sun for best flower production.
How does Mandevilla grow?
Here’s how it works. Mandevilla is a native tropical vine. It produces masses of bright, usually pink, trumpet-shaped flowers which may grow 4 inches (10 cm.) across. The plants are not winter hardy in most zones of the United States and have a temperature minimum of 45-50 F. (7-10 C.).