Have you been looking for creative ways to support your Mandevilla plants? These vining beauties need a support in order to truly showcase their potential. Keep reading to discover some easy to implement Mandevilla trellis ideas, and I'll also share some care tips for your plants!
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MANDEVILLA TRELLIS IDEAS
Whether you have your plants in the ground or in pots, here are some Mandevilla trellis ideas. I've grown Mandevilla plants for many years and I'm sharing with you some photos from my own garden.
1. Create a support structure out of bamboo
In this raised bed, I planted some Mandevilla plants in the middle and surrounded them with impatiens. I simply inserted six, 6 foot tall pieces of bamboo into the soil and tied them on top. Super easy!
If you look closely in the photo, I also took clear fishing string and tied them horizontally (like rungs on a ladder) across the bamboo in order to provide additional locations for the vines to climb.
Right after planting, I manually took each vine and gently wrapped it around the bamboo to get it started. Eventually, the plant will naturally wrap itself around the structure.
2. Place a horizontal support between 2 pots to make an arch
In this case, I purchased two Mandevilla pots that already had 3 bamboo stakes inserted in them and tied on top. You can also insert them on your own if your plants didn't come with them. You will need them for this project.
At this point, I simply laid a piece of bamboo on top to connect the pots, and tied them together securely with twine. Take a look at the photo below.
After 3 months, this is what this setup grew into. The vines completely covered the horizontal bamboo support.
As the plants grow, you'll have to help them along occasionally by manually wrapping the vines around the support, and tying them if needed.
3. Grow up a post and use fishing string for additional support
In this example, I have another Mandevilla plant with bamboo stakes inserted into the pot and tied on top like in the previous example.
In this case, however, I placed the pot right up again a wooden support of a pergola structure. As the plant grew, I tied the vines with clear fishing string to support and contain the plant.
Once the vines reach the top, I started to train the plant horizontally by using clear fishing string.
You can see in the photo below, I have a pink Mandevilla on either side of the pergola.
In the top horizontal wooden face of the pergola, I simply hammered some small nails and ran clear fishing string along the top.
My pergola in our back garden, loaded with plants.
As the vines grew, I would wrap them around the fishing string. This creates a beautiful floral arch! You can really get creative with clear fishing string.
I hope this has sparked some ideas for your own garden, so get creative! Now let me talk a bit about Mandevilla care and what they like so you can keep them blooming and happy.
MANDEVILLA CARE
Here are some basics of Mandevilla care.
LIGHT
Mandevilla plants are sun-loving, so be sure to give your plant at least a half day of direct sun (more is better) wherever you put them outdoors.
If you have them in too much shade, blooming will be compromised and no one buys these plants just for the foliage.
POTTING MIX
Freely draining potting mixes are very important for these plants. A good mix to use would be 2 parts all-purpose potting mix and 1 part coarse sand.
Excellent, sharp drainage is a must for this plant.
WATER
Regular watering is important, especially during hot, dry, summer days. Always feel the soil though before watering. I like to allow the top couple inches of soil to dry out before watering again thoroughly.
An assortment of plants in my back garden, including a pink Mandenvilla climbing on the pergola.
Never water if the surface of the soil still feels moist.
FERTILIZER
Mandevillas grow quickly and need plenty of fertilizer for best performance.
I'd recommend regularly using a good fertilizer like Miracle Gro Bloom Booster for an abundance of flowers all summer long.
TEMPERATURE
When purchasing Mandevilla plants, resist the temptation to buy them when temperatures are still cold. Wait until minimum nighttime temperatures are at least 50°F (10°C) before purchasing them.
ROUTINE CLEAN UP
Remove any spent flowers regularly. Once flowers are done, they often fall off onto the foliage, and can create quite a mess.
In order to keep the foliage in good health and help deter pests and diseases, be sure to regularly remove any fallen, spent flowers from the foliage.
I hope you've enjoyed this post on Mandevilla trellis ideas. The possibilities are endless, so get creative!
Thank you so Very much for your post! I am No gardener but I have fallen in love with my plants! I want to put my Mandevillas in the ground, I live in zone 9a and am not sure they will survive winter...as I said, I have just started this journey so I have much to learn! Thanks again!
I just bought a 2' tall giant peach mandevilla. I will be keeping it in a pot. I read that I will need to repot every year or two. Is this true? Can I just put it in a large pot? Also, if I have to repot, how do you do that when the vines have grown over a pot obelisk or trellis? Thank you!
They can be prone to root disorders and rot if you plant in a pot that's too big (due to the soil taking too long to dry out). I would just repot as needed and only go up one or two pot sizes when you repot. Only repot when it is root-bound. It isn't really practical to remove any support once the vines have wrapped themselves around, so I would just keep it. You can always add an extension...but you can deal with that when the time comes (or just prune your plant!) Hope this helps a bit! If you haven't seen my Mandevilla care post, I recommend reading it: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2023/05/15/how-to-grow-mandevilla-in-a-pot/
I transferred the flowers into a bigger pot. .(removed soil with the flowers and put on bigger pot). Some of the branches turned brown but I bend the branch and there still flexable..Some branches r still green..Just wondering if this plant goes into shock
I love those plants in your yard. They look so gorgeous! I have a question. I just planted a few Mandevilla plants a couple of days ago. I placed the planters in front of our house where they get around 5 hours of direct sunlight. We live in Dallas TX where the temperature can get up to > 100 degrees. I am a little worried that they will get scorched by the heat. Should I move the plants to somewhere where there is still plenty light but just not under the harsh sunlight?
Hi PJ! What time would they get the direct sun? If it's mid-day, you may want to maybe consider moving them because of the heat. Do you have any place where they would only get some morning sun? Or where you would just avoid mid-day sun?
Yes, they start getting direct sun around noon. I read somewhere that they need 6+ hours of sunlight. But if I follow that guidance, I am afraid they will be scorched if I leave it in the spot of the front house where they will get 6+ hours of direct sun light.
My question is, do they really need 6+ hours of direct sunlight in places like Texas?
I've gotten away with less where I live in Ohio, and they still bloom well. I would say if you have at least 3-4 hours of sun where you are, it should be plenty! Try it and found out for yourself. Growing conditions vary a lot, and what actually works for you is what matters 🙂
I have two mandevilla's in our courtyard. They get plenty of sunlight and produced flowers earlier this spring. Instead of trimming the newer growth at the top I have been heading the vines downward. They get very bushy and dense in doing this; and I am wondering if I am inhibiting the growth of flowers by doing so.
Thank You in advance for any suggestions.
Hi Ann! That's a great question. You may be inhibiting the flowers of that parts that you're covering up, but the vines on top should still bloom if that makes sense? You should be ok though 🙂
Hi, I have a Alice DuPont Mandevilla in a hanging basket. Was wondering if I hung it on a pole in front of a lamp post would it attach its vines to the lamp post.
Hi Cathy! Mandevillas will wrap themselves around supports as long as they're not too wide. They won't really attach much. If the pole is too big, it may struggle to wrap itself around. You can maybe wrap some kind of mesh around the lamp post. This will make it easier for the vines to wrap themselves around. Good luck!
Hello, this is a great post about a plant that is new to me. I bought two pink Mandevillas for my deck this year.
I have a water meter for my indoor plants. Do you have an estimate for a moisture meter reading to trigger a watering? 0 is bone dry and 10 is soaked soil. If the top couple of inches should be dry, I'm thinking maybe 4 at the top and 6 at the bottom. Or should the soil be dryer? Many thanks!
Glad you found it useful! I would not recommend using a moisture meter. Many of them are very unreliable. I wrote a post about that exact topic. I would just use your finger 🙂
Thankyou. Encouraging. Only have grown Mandevilla on smallish balcony. ....
which limits sunlight. Use an ancient white wicker bookcase as my base. Six feet tall.
The white background ,of the bookcase, sets off my favourite ,pink, flowers.
Hi! Are Mandevilla’s invasive? I’d like to grow one on a trellis but worry it may grow quickly and attach itself to other trees, bushes we have planted near by and structures (fence and side of home) we have close by to the trellis we plan to grow our mandevilla. Please advise, thanks!
can you recommend other climbing trellis, hummingbird & butterfly attracting plants? I was going to get 2 mandevilla trellis' this summer, but ones ive found cost close to $40/ea. I live in northern Ohio and knowing they wont survive our winters, I dont think it would be a wise financial expense.
Alternative suggestion?
You can probably make a really inexpensive one with making a rectangular frame, and then running clear fishing string up and down. That would be very inexpensive and effective. There are so many vines that would attract hummindbirds and butterflies. Cypress Vine is a good one. Trumpet Vine is another good one but those can get very big....Scarlet runner bean is a good one too.
We are in Bradenton Florida and are having no luck with the last 2 Mandeville's we planned. Reading your suggestions our problems sound like it's both lack of Sun and wet soil. So if we keep our new plant in a large clay pot and in the Southside will this be more effective?
Yes, that should do the trick! They need plenty of sun to bloom. Just be careful of the terra cotta pot because they can dry out super quickly, unless yours is really big.
Thank you for all the information about Mandevilla. I just got my first one. The roots are showing at the top so I know I need to repot it. Is it possible to split the plant while repoting it? It is quite large and I will be pruning it way back this Fall as I live in Minnesota.
Hi - I live in SC - Columbia - I think Zone 7 `- Do I need to not plant mine in the ground? Do I need to put them in the greenhouse in Winter? I don't want to lose these plants in the Winter and this is my first time with these. They are beautiful flowers for sure.
Hi Gary! They won't survive in zone 7. They are tropical plants so you should move them into your greenhouse if you want to carry them over through the winter.
This is so helpful and your garden is stunning! Just bought my first Mandevilla today...excited to see what happens! I'll be trying the bamboo trellis.
Thanks for your great article on Mandevillas! - We're about to plant one into a large clay flower pot, (approx.15 gal.), and wonder how deep the roots grow on these plants? - I'd rather Not fill the entire pot with expensive 'Potting Soil, if I could add some type of 'Filler' to the Bottom Portion, provided that they don't grow Deep Roots. - (Any suggestions will be appreciated, and Thanks Again!! )
Hi Pat! That's a great question! In my experience they don't grow super deep roots, and yes I do have a suggestion for your large pot. What I do for super big pots to save on soil is turn a rigid pot upside down (like another clay pot, ceramic pot or, even a thick, rigid plastic pot) and place at the bottom of your large clay pot, and then fill start filling with soil. Since you're using a clay pot, that's great since it's preferable that their soil dries out pretty quickly. I hope this helps a bit, and good luck!
Thank you so Very much for your post! I am No gardener but I have fallen in love with my plants! I want to put my Mandevillas in the ground, I live in zone 9a and am not sure they will survive winter...as I said, I have just started this journey so I have much to learn! Thanks again!
You're very welcome Alan! I'm glad you enjoyed the post, and good luck with your gardening! I wish I lived in a 9a zone 🙂
I just bought a 2' tall giant peach mandevilla. I will be keeping it in a pot. I read that I will need to repot every year or two. Is this true? Can I just put it in a large pot? Also, if I have to repot, how do you do that when the vines have grown over a pot obelisk or trellis? Thank you!
They can be prone to root disorders and rot if you plant in a pot that's too big (due to the soil taking too long to dry out). I would just repot as needed and only go up one or two pot sizes when you repot. Only repot when it is root-bound. It isn't really practical to remove any support once the vines have wrapped themselves around, so I would just keep it. You can always add an extension...but you can deal with that when the time comes (or just prune your plant!) Hope this helps a bit! If you haven't seen my Mandevilla care post, I recommend reading it: https://www.ohiotropics.com/2023/05/15/how-to-grow-mandevilla-in-a-pot/
I transferred the flowers into a bigger pot. .(removed soil with the flowers and put on bigger pot). Some of the branches turned brown but I bend the branch and there still flexable..Some branches r still green..Just wondering if this plant goes into shock
Any plant can go into transplant shock, especially if you removed all the soil. Just keep an eye on it and baby it until it recovers 🙂
Hello Raffaele!
I love those plants in your yard. They look so gorgeous! I have a question. I just planted a few Mandevilla plants a couple of days ago. I placed the planters in front of our house where they get around 5 hours of direct sunlight. We live in Dallas TX where the temperature can get up to > 100 degrees. I am a little worried that they will get scorched by the heat. Should I move the plants to somewhere where there is still plenty light but just not under the harsh sunlight?
Hi PJ! What time would they get the direct sun? If it's mid-day, you may want to maybe consider moving them because of the heat. Do you have any place where they would only get some morning sun? Or where you would just avoid mid-day sun?
@Raffaele,
Yes, they start getting direct sun around noon. I read somewhere that they need 6+ hours of sunlight. But if I follow that guidance, I am afraid they will be scorched if I leave it in the spot of the front house where they will get 6+ hours of direct sun light.
My question is, do they really need 6+ hours of direct sunlight in places like Texas?
Thank you so much!
I've gotten away with less where I live in Ohio, and they still bloom well. I would say if you have at least 3-4 hours of sun where you are, it should be plenty! Try it and found out for yourself. Growing conditions vary a lot, and what actually works for you is what matters 🙂
I have two mandevilla's in our courtyard. They get plenty of sunlight and produced flowers earlier this spring. Instead of trimming the newer growth at the top I have been heading the vines downward. They get very bushy and dense in doing this; and I am wondering if I am inhibiting the growth of flowers by doing so.
Thank You in advance for any suggestions.
Hi Ann! That's a great question. You may be inhibiting the flowers of that parts that you're covering up, but the vines on top should still bloom if that makes sense? You should be ok though 🙂
Should I put a trellis and if yes what kind? to bring the plant in home in september I'm from Canada thank you!
Do you mean for indoors? You can just keep whatever one you used outside. You'll need to trim it back though before you bring it indoors. Good luck!
Hi, I have a Alice DuPont Mandevilla in a hanging basket. Was wondering if I hung it on a pole in front of a lamp post would it attach its vines to the lamp post.
Hi Cathy! Mandevillas will wrap themselves around supports as long as they're not too wide. They won't really attach much. If the pole is too big, it may struggle to wrap itself around. You can maybe wrap some kind of mesh around the lamp post. This will make it easier for the vines to wrap themselves around. Good luck!
Hello, this is a great post about a plant that is new to me. I bought two pink Mandevillas for my deck this year.
I have a water meter for my indoor plants. Do you have an estimate for a moisture meter reading to trigger a watering? 0 is bone dry and 10 is soaked soil. If the top couple of inches should be dry, I'm thinking maybe 4 at the top and 6 at the bottom. Or should the soil be dryer? Many thanks!
Glad you found it useful! I would not recommend using a moisture meter. Many of them are very unreliable. I wrote a post about that exact topic. I would just use your finger 🙂
Thankyou. Encouraging. Only have grown Mandevilla on smallish balcony. ....
which limits sunlight. Use an ancient white wicker bookcase as my base. Six feet tall.
The white background ,of the bookcase, sets off my favourite ,pink, flowers.
You're very welcome! 🙂
Hi! Are Mandevilla’s invasive? I’d like to grow one on a trellis but worry it may grow quickly and attach itself to other trees, bushes we have planted near by and structures (fence and side of home) we have close by to the trellis we plan to grow our mandevilla. Please advise, thanks!
They will definitely wrap around whatever they come in contact to!
can you recommend other climbing trellis, hummingbird & butterfly attracting plants? I was going to get 2 mandevilla trellis' this summer, but ones ive found cost close to $40/ea. I live in northern Ohio and knowing they wont survive our winters, I dont think it would be a wise financial expense.
Alternative suggestion?
You can probably make a really inexpensive one with making a rectangular frame, and then running clear fishing string up and down. That would be very inexpensive and effective. There are so many vines that would attract hummindbirds and butterflies. Cypress Vine is a good one. Trumpet Vine is another good one but those can get very big....Scarlet runner bean is a good one too.
@Raffaele, we have hummingbirds come to our impatiens as well as the mandevilla.
Love it!
We are in Bradenton Florida and are having no luck with the last 2 Mandeville's we planned. Reading your suggestions our problems sound like it's both lack of Sun and wet soil. So if we keep our new plant in a large clay pot and in the Southside will this be more effective?
Yes, that should do the trick! They need plenty of sun to bloom. Just be careful of the terra cotta pot because they can dry out super quickly, unless yours is really big.
Thank you for all the information about Mandevilla. I just got my first one. The roots are showing at the top so I know I need to repot it. Is it possible to split the plant while repoting it? It is quite large and I will be pruning it way back this Fall as I live in Minnesota.
If it's really root bound, it might shock the plant if you try and divide it. I would recommend not dividing it.
Hi - I live in SC - Columbia - I think Zone 7 `- Do I need to not plant mine in the ground? Do I need to put them in the greenhouse in Winter? I don't want to lose these plants in the Winter and this is my first time with these. They are beautiful flowers for sure.
Hi Gary! They won't survive in zone 7. They are tropical plants so you should move them into your greenhouse if you want to carry them over through the winter.
This is so helpful and your garden is stunning! Just bought my first Mandevilla today...excited to see what happens! I'll be trying the bamboo trellis.
Glad you enjoyed the post, and good luck with your mandevilla! They add a nice touch to any garden 🙂
Thanks for your great article on Mandevillas! - We're about to plant one into a large clay flower pot, (approx.15 gal.), and wonder how deep the roots grow on these plants? - I'd rather Not fill the entire pot with expensive 'Potting Soil, if I could add some type of 'Filler' to the Bottom Portion, provided that they don't grow Deep Roots. - (Any suggestions will be appreciated, and Thanks Again!! )
Hi Pat! That's a great question! In my experience they don't grow super deep roots, and yes I do have a suggestion for your large pot. What I do for super big pots to save on soil is turn a rigid pot upside down (like another clay pot, ceramic pot or, even a thick, rigid plastic pot) and place at the bottom of your large clay pot, and then fill start filling with soil. Since you're using a clay pot, that's great since it's preferable that their soil dries out pretty quickly. I hope this helps a bit, and good luck!