The Alice du Pont mandevilla vine is a popular tropical flowering plant prized for its bright, vibrant blooms and lush green foliage. However, like any plant, it can fall victim to various pests that can damage its health and aesthetic appeal. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the most common Alice du Pont mandevilla vine pests, how to identify them, and proven treatment methods to eliminate them and keep your vines thriving.
Aphids
Aphids are tiny, soft-bodied insects that suck sap from the leaves and stems of plants On mandevilla vines, watch for clusters of green, yellow, black or white aphids on the undersides of leaves or at the tips of stems They secrete sticky honeydew which can attract black sooty mold.
Treatment: Blast aphids off plants with a strong spray of water. Remove badly infested leaves. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray targeting the undersides of leaves.
Whiteflies
These small moth-like pests flock to the undersides of leaves where they lay eggs and feed on plant sap. Check for whiteflies if you see yellow stippling or spots on leaf surfaces. The flies take flight when disturbed. Sticky honeydew and black sooty mold may also be present.
Treatment Use yellow sticky traps to monitor for whiteflies Remove badly infested leaves Apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to control populations. Use horticultural oil sprays in winter to kill overwintering whitefly eggs.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are soft-bodied insects that look like small tufts of white cotton on stems and leaf undersides. They extract plant fluids through tube-like mouths. Heavy infestations cause yellowing, wilting and leaf drop. Honeydew secretions encourage black sooty mold growth.
Treatment: Isolate infested plants. Remove mealybugs manually using a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil sprays. Systemic insecticides can help in severe cases.
Spider Mites
These tiny pests look like moving dots on leaf undersides. They use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant cells, causing a stippled, bronze discoloration on leaves. Fine webbing may be visible under leaves or on shoot tips. Spider mite populations can explode in hot, dry conditions.
Treatment: Knock mites off plants with a strong stream of water. Apply summer horticultural oil or insecticidal soap sprays targeting undersides of leaves to smother mites. Release predatory mites to control infestations naturally.
Scales
Armored and soft scales extract sap from stems and leaves. They look like bumps that appear fixed in place. Heavy infestations cause yellow speckling on leaves, stunting, dieback and leaf drop. Ants may farm scales, protecting them from predators. Sooty mold often accompanies scales.
Treatment: Scrape off visible scales manually. Apply horticultural oil or insecticidal soap sprays to suffocate them. Systemic insecticides provide longer control on severe infestations. Release parasitic wasps that attack scales.
Thrips
These tiny, slender insects rasp plant cells and feed on expelled fluids, causing silver-white streaks and dots on leaves. Blossoms may be discolored and damaged. Leaves turn brown and curl under serious attack. Thrips thrive in dry conditions.
Treatment: Prune off badly damaged foliage. Knock thrips off with blasts of water. Apply spinosad or insecticidal soap sprays to contact thrips on plants. Use blue or yellow sticky traps to monitor for thrips. Release predatory mites to control them.
By inspecting plants frequently, identifying pests promptly and taking swift action, you can keep your Alice du Pont mandevilla vines healthy and looking their best. Combine preventative, low-impact control methods like using row covers, pruning off infested plant parts, spraying off pests and applying biopesticide sprays. Your vigorous, flourishing vines will reward you with an abundance of gorgeous blooms!
Mandevilla Types
Today, easy-care mandevilla come in two main categories: mandevilla vines and mandevilla.
Are the old-fashioned type, which more gardeners tend to be familiar with. These plants quickly twine up and around trellises, arbors, and other structures, making them valuable for adding color vertically. Mandevilla vines climb by wrapping their new growth around a support. It’s important to know they grow in a clockwise or counterclockwise fashion, so pay attention when you train them. If yours grows clockwise, and you wrap it counterclockwise around its support, your mandevilla will unwind itself. Different varieties of mandevilla vines grow different heights; the largest varieties tend to climb between 10 to 15 feet tall in a gardening season. Because they are vines, you can train them to grow horizontally or vertically.
Tend to be newer selections. Rather than growing up, they form tidy mounds, making them ideal for use in garden and landscape beds and borders, as well as in container gardens. Most mounding mandevillas grow 12 to 18 inches tall and and don’t need supports to climb. Because they have more of a bushy habit, they’re also choices for hanging baskets and window boxes.
Originally, pink-flowering mandevillas were most common, such as the old variety ‘Alice Dupont’, but over time, plant breeders have expanded the color range. Now you can find mandevilla flowers in all shades of pink, from soft, cotton-candy pink to bright and bold hot pink. There are pure white and bright red mandevilla varieties, as well. There’s even an apricot-colored variety available.
When you’re at your local garden center shopping for mandevilla, look for lush plants with lots of dark green leaves. Plants that have a lot of yellow leaves (especially in the middle or at the top of the plant) may be stressed and less healthy. The presence of flowers doesn’t necessarily show a plant is because most are sold in full bloom. Selecting a mandevilla with flowers helps you ensure you’re getting the exact color you want. Another way you can look at a mandevilla’s health is to slip it out of its pot and look at the roots. Healthy roots are firm and white or creamy. Unhealthy roots will look yellowed or brown and be mushy. If the plant is suffering from rot, you may detect a foul odor in the potting mix, particularly toward the bottom of the pot. You’ll probably see mandevilla vines grown two ways: with trellises or with teepees. Trellised plants are better for growing on fence or structure you want them to fan out. Teepeed plants are better suited for places you can grow them vertically, such as up a pole or trellis.
Heat- and drought-tolerant mandevilla plants require little care once they’re planted and established. All varieties do best in a spot with sun — at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun each day. They also like well-drained soil or potting mix. (Tip: If you grow mandevilla in containers, use a potting mix rather than garden soil, which can lead to root rot or disease problems.) Mandevilla require regular pruning, though you can prune them at any time if they start to get too large or grow out of bounds. Mandevillas grown in shade or part shade benefit from regular pruning to keep them from lanky and leggy. Mandevilla in the ground typically don’t require fertilizing as part of their care regimen, but potted plants benefit from fertilizer to keep them blooming profusely. The easiest way to fertilize is to mix some timed-release fertilizer into the potting mix when you plant; these products continue to slowly add nutrients to the soil over time. You can also fertilize regularly with a water-soluble product you mix with water. No matter what type of fertilizer you use for your mandevilla, follow the directions on the product’s instruction label to know how much fertilizer to use. Learn more about fertilizing plants. These are tropical and don’t like frosty temperatures. If you live in an area that experiences frequent frosts, you need to consider them as annuals or bring them indoors for the winter to care for as houseplants. Get tips for saving tropical plants like mandevilla before winter. Get winter care tips for your mandevilla.
Today there are many varieties of mandevilla available at local garden centers, mass merchandisers, and home improvement centers. Some of the most popular types include:
This was one of the first varieties that was widely available. It features large pink flowers and textural leaves. It’s not as floriferous as newer selections.
Dipladenia is another name for mandevilla.
Summervillea is an especially strong mounding variety that shows off a profusion of rich red flowers. We’ve found that, in our Miami, Florida, Trial Garden, Summervillea holds up better than other varieties as a perennial.
Tips For Growing Mandevilla Vine
FAQ
What are the pests of mandevilla?
How do I get rid of bugs on my mandevilla plant?
What is eating my mandevilla?
What can I spray on mandevilla?
What is a Mandevilla Alice du Pont?
Mandevilla ‘Alice du Pont’ is a woody, twining evergreen vine. It grows to a height of 20 feet but is much shorter when grown in a container. The leaves are dark green, glossy, oval and 3 to 8 inches long. Clusters of pure pink, flared, trumpet-shaped, 2- to 4- inch flowers appear among the leaves, spring through fall.
Is Allamanda a Mandevilla?
This vine is sometimes referred to as pink allamanda. There is also a popular white-flowering variety (Mandevilla boliviensis) as well as other color choices. The most common yellow-flowering variety is actually not a mandevilla at all (Urechites lutea or Pentilinon luteum) – and a common name for this vine is Wild Allamanda.
Are there different types of Mandevilla vines?
There is also a popular white-flowering variety (Mandevilla boliviensis) as well as other color choices. The most common yellow-flowering variety is actually not a mandevilla at all (Urechites lutea or Pentilinon luteum) – and a common name for this vine is Wild Allamanda. It’s no wonder people confuse the terms mandevilla and allamanda.
Are there Bugs on Mandevilla vines?
Bugs on mandevilla vine are easy to treat if they’re caught early, but you’ll have to keep a close eye out for them since these insects often remain well-hidden. Mealybugs leave small piles of waxy debris on the branch crotches of mandevilla vines, feeding nearby or on the undersides of leaves.