With its abundant pink trumpet-shaped blooms and vigorous climbing habit, the Alice du Pont mandevilla vine has become a staple in gardens across warm climates. But where did this gorgeous plant originate from? Let’s explore the roots of the Alice du Pont mandevilla vine to understand its rich history.
A Brief Background on Mandevilla Vines
Mandevilla is a genus of around 120 species of tropical vines and shrubs within the dogbane family Apocynaceae. The genus is named after the British minister and gardener Henry Mandeville who lived in Argentina in the early 1800s. Mandevillas are native to the warmer parts of the Americas, spanning from Argentina in the south to Mexico in the north.
These vines dazzle with large, colorful flowers and thrive in warm, humid environments. Wild mandevilla species can be found growing in forests and woodlands in their native ranges. The vines use their twining stems to climb up trees and other supports.
Early Cultivation of Mandevilla Hybrids
Mandevillas first gained popularity as ornamental garden plants in Europe in the 1800s. Wealthy garden enthusiasts were charmed by their showy blooms and ability to thrive in conservatories and greenhouses.
Around this time nurseries began intentionally hybridizing different mandevilla species to create new varieties tailored for ornamental horticulture. These early hybrids combined traits like more abundant flowering, new color variations, and shortened vines better suited for patio containers.
The Development of the Alice du Pont Cultivar
One particularly famous mandevilla hybrid is the Alice du Pont cultivar, bred in the United States. But who was Alice du Pont?
Alice Hounsfield du Pont was a prominent American socialite and avid gardener who lived from 1864 to 1957. She came from the wealthy Du Pont family dynasty, known for their chemical company. As a prominent patron of horticulture, Alice du Pont hosted magnificent gardens at her estate in Delaware.
The specific details around the breeding of the Alice du Pont mandevilla vine are uncertain. But it is believed skilled horticulturists developed this hybrid variety especially for Alice du Pont’s estate gardens sometime in the early to mid 1900s.
Notable Traits of Alice du Pont Mandevilla
So what sets the Alice du Pont cultivar apart from other mandevilla varieties? Some of its defining features include
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Abundant rose-pink trumpet blooms up to 4 inches wide
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Subtle lavender undertones on flowers
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Glossy dark green leaves provide perfect backdrop to flowers
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Vigorous climbing habit, reaching 15-20 feet tall
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Evergreen in mild climates
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Fragrant blooms
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Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
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Flowers from late spring to fall
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Thrives in heat and humidity
This winning combination of vigorous growth, profuse blooms, and vivid coloration has made Alice du Pont a star ornamental vine. It continues to adorn gardens, patios, and landscapes across warm regions today.
The Legacy Lives On
While the specifics surrounding the origins of the Alice du Pont mandevilla vine remain uncertain, its legacy continues to thrive over a century after its initial debut. Countless gardeners have fallen for its charms over the years.
In a fitting honor to its namesake, the Alice du Pont mandevilla vine lives on as a testament to the wonders that passion, dedication, and expertise in horticulture can produce. Though Alice du Pont herself is no longer with us, we still have her namesake vine to enjoy thanks to those innovative breeders and cultivators who worked to develop this exceptional variety so many decades ago.
Whenever you gaze upon the elegant blooms of an Alice du Pont mandevilla, you’re viewing a piece of living garden history. So treasure and care for these vines as the dignified heirlooms they are, and pass along an appreciation for their origins to fellow gardeners. The legacy of beauty lives on!
How to Grow Mandevilla
Indoors, mandevillas need curtain-filtered or bright indirect sunlight. Provide night temperatures of 60 to 65 °F and day temperatures above 70 °F. Plant in a mixture of equal parts peat moss, potting mix and builder’s sand. In spring and summer, feed every two weeks with a fertilizer high in phosphorus such as 10-20-10.
Outdoors, grow mandevillas in partial shade. They need rich, well-drained, sandy soil with humus added. Provide a frame, trellis or stake for support. Pinch young plants to induce bushiness.
Since 45 to 50 °F is the minimum temperature that can be tolerated by mandevilla, plants should be moved indoors for the winter. Before bringing them indoors, examine them carefully for pests. Look under the leaves, in the leaf axils, and in every conceivable nook and cranny for insects and their eggs. Remove any diseased or dead leaves by hand. Insect-infested plants can be doused with a forceful spray of water to dislodge the pests, or you can use insecticidal soaps or other appropriate insecticides labeled for use on your plant. You may have to prune some of the plant to compensate for any root loss.
Move the plants to a lighted location where the temperature is above 45 to 50 °F. Reduce the frequency of watering to coincide with the plants’ rest periods induced by the cooler temperatures and reduced light.
In late winter or early spring before growth begins, prune by removing old, crowded stems and shortening others. Even if mandevilla is pruned almost to the ground, it will bloom the same summer on the new shoots, which develop from the base of the plants.
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. Even very small plants in 4-inch pots will bloom. This cultivar grows well in hanging baskets. Pinch off tips of new stems to induce dense growth.
Mandevilla ‘Laxa’ or Chilean jasmine (although it is native to Argentina) is a climbing, woody, deciduous vine. It grows to 15 feet. Leaves are opposite, oblong or heart-shaped at the base. They are 2 to 6 inches long, thin and dark green with gray-green undersides. Clustered summer flowers are white, 2 inches across and trumpet-shaped with a powerful gardenia-like fragrance. Provide rich soil. If the plant becomes badly tangled, cut it to the ground in winter. It will bloom on the new growth. Roots are hardy to about 5 °F.
Mandevilla ‘Splendens’ is an evergreen similar to ‘Alice du Pont’, with the same bloom period. The leaves are narrow, pointed and 3 to 8 inches long. The trumpet-shaped flowers are 2 to 4 inches across, pale pink when they open, with rose-pink eyes. As the flowers age, their color deepens to rose. The stems of M. ‘Splendens’ reach 10 to 15 feet in length.
- ‘Red Riding Hood’ has deep red flowers.
- ‘Summer Snow’ has sparkling white 3- to 4- inch flowers against dark glossy foliage.
- ‘Yellow’ has wide, bright yellow flowers. They are lower growing and shrubbier than the species and superb in hanging baskets.
The most common pests are mealybugs, scales, whiteflies and red spider mites.
Document last updated on 2/21 by Joey Williamson.
If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at [email protected] or 1-888-656-9988.
Marjan Kluepfel, Former HGIC Horticulture Information Specialist, Clemson UniversityRobert F. Polomski, PhD, Associate Extension Specialist—Environmental Horticulture/Arboriculture, Clemson University
This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.
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Alice Dupont mandevilla is colorful climbing vine
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