Dipladenia, also known as Tocktrumpet or Funnel Flower, is a popular houseplant and garden flower. It's an attractive plant used in hanging baskets and edges of raised garden beds. It sports plentiful, colorful flowers and is easy to grow.
Below we will share everything you need to know about growing Dipladenia plants.
Dipladenia is a member of the Apocynaceae family. It originated in South and Central America, and it grows freely in the wild in Mexico, the West Indies, and the southwest United States. The evergreen climbing plant will grow numerous trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of pink and red. Its dark green leaves are firm, slightly glossy, and come to a point. It's a slow grower but a low-maintenance plant.
Dipladenia is often grouped with the Mandevilla genus, and the two plants currently share a species designation. However, Dipladenia has a more shrub-like and bushy growth pattern than the vining Mandevilla. Even as the stems of Dipladenia get long, they will tend to trail downwards, while a Mandevilla will reach up. The foliage and flowers are also different. Dipladenia has narrower, darker green leaves. It blooms smaller flowers, and whereas Mandevilla flowers come in a wide range of colors, Dipladenia flowers stay in hues of pink and red.
Dipladenia can be planted in indoor pots, outdoor pots, or directly in the ground in USDA zones 9 and 10. In colder zones, you can grow Dipladenia as an annual rather than a perennial.
Dipladenia plants are hardy and love the full sun. If you are growing Dipladenia indoors, place them in your most sunny window. If none of your windows gets enough light, you can supplement the natural light with grow lights.
If you are growing Dipladenia outdoors and are in a particularly warmer USDA zone, take care to shelter your plant from the midday sun. While it needs direct sunlight daily, the intense heat of noon sunlight in those zones will scorch it. Planting Dipladenia in containers helps gardeners move it to optimum light.
Dipladenia plants aren't particularly picky about water. If you plant it indoors, you'll do one watering every 8 to 10 days. Water the plant frequently during the summer months but allow the top few inches of soil to dry out before watering again.
Dipladenia can store water in their roots, although they are somewhat prone to root rot. This means that they can't tolerate wet soil, and it's okay to miss a watering, but not ideal to water too frequently. Always check the top few inches of the soil to determine whether your plant needs to be watered.
Humidity is not too important for this tropical plant, but the temperature is. If the temperature falls below 65°F, the plant will likely die. If you plant it outdoors, either make sure that your nighttime temperatures don't fall below that or be prepared to treat your Dipladenia as an annual. Many choose to overwinter Dipladenia in pots.
Dipladenia has a short flowering season when grown in tropical conditions, but you can encourage full-year blooming in cooler temperatures. You can enjoy Dipladenia flowers all year without temperatures getting too warm if given plenty of light and fertilizer.
Dipladenia grows best in slightly alkaline soil, with a pH level between 6.6. and 7.8. It is hardy and used to slightly sandy, well-draining soil. You can make your own potting mix by combining equal parts sand, leaf mold, and peat moss. If you are planting your Dipladenia directly into the ground, work in some compost before planting.
If you'd like, you can apply a slow-release fertilizer during the growing season in early spring. You can also feed a liquid plant food twice monthly during the spring and summer. At the end of summer, or when you notice the plant stop flowering, stop with both fertilizer and plant food. This dormant period is important.
Dipladenia doesn't require pruning, but you can propagate any vine cuttings you make.
You can also propagate Dipladenia by layering.
As Dipladenia grows, it will require repotting every now and then. It is resilient and can handle root-bound but will thrive if its roots have plenty of room. A sign that your plant is ready for a larger pot is if the drainage holes in the current pot have roots sticking out. The new pot should be a few inches larger in diameter than the current pot and must have drainage holes.
Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring. You can prune it back to almost ground level to promote branching, new growth, and additional blooms.
Dipladenia will sometimes fall prey to aphids and spider mites. You should regularly check all of your houseplants for signs of these pests. Wipe the foliage with neem oil or soapy water if you see any.
The Dipladenia plant can develop a fungal disease that can brown spots on leaves. If this occurs, you can treat it with fungicide.
Dipladenia vines are filled with milky sap that is toxic to some animals, including cats and dogs. It is unlikely that any sort of serious complication would result from a pet eating Dipladenia, but the sap may cause indigestion.
The tubular flowers of Dipladenia can attract hummingbirds and bees. Important pollinators to have in your garden.
There can be a few reasons why the leaves are turning yellow. It can be caused by over or under-watering. Stick your finger into the soil to determine if it's dry or moist.
Another reason your plant leaves is turning yellow is the lack of sunlight. Dipladenia needs at least 6 hours of sunlight, and lack of sunlight can cause yellow leaves.
There can be a few reasons why the leaves are turning brown. It can also be caused by over or under-watering. If the leaves are curling, it's a sign of insufficient watering.
Fungal disease can also cause the browning of leaves, and if left untreated, the plant will rapidly collapse.
Improper growing conditions will be the reason why your Dipladenia is not flower. Don't give up and move the plant to a better location.
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