DIPLADENIA vedi MANDEVILLA

Extremely generous and elegant climber, perennial and evergreen, with a rather fast growth and a light and thick habit, native to South America: at the maximum of its development, it can climb even over 4 m in height, and extend equally generously in width. Lignified and well branched from the base, it has numerous thin and flexible stems, semi-woody, herbaceous only in the terminal part, which, thanks to their fickle nature, move upwards, clinging tenaciously to everything they encounter on their path, and allow the plant to quickly and homogeneously cover large vertical surfaces. The leaves, opposite and smooth, glabrous, thin and bright, obovate in shape with smooth margins and marked acute apex, are dark green. Between late spring and late autumn, loose inflorescences composed of large and showy trumpet flowers of various colors (red, pink and white) bloom profusely from the axillary region of the leaves: if they are fertilized, very thin pods originate from these filled with tiny seeds with pappus.

It prefers sunny and bright locations, but where summer afternoons can be hot, it may also like partial shade. While adapting to any type of soil, it prefers fertile, rich and well-drained, permeable ones. Tolerates the typical salinity of sea winds in coastal areas; it bears very short periods of drought and instead the general appearance of the plant improves if supported by periodic, constant summer watering. Withstands minimum winter temperatures only a few degrees below zero, therefore where the cold can be intense and lasting, it is advisable to place it in a protected and sheltered corner, or mulch the base with straw and dry leaves, or guarantee it shelter in a cool environment and protected in winter. In spring at the vegetative restart, it can be useful, by eliminating damaged, old or bulky parts, to shorten or trim the various stems: this will produce a denser growth and a subsequent more abundant flowering. Perfect if grown on terraces and balconies in medium sized pots and containers. In the open ground in the garden, but only in particularly mild climatic areas, it can be used to cover walls, fences, wire nets and racks or to climb pergolas and gazebos. Alternatively, for those who love wilder and more natural situations, it can be used to climb shrubs or trees: in any case, the final effect will be very pleasant!