Question

Floral Plant   QUESTION: Hi,
My brother bought this plant for me and the name of it was not in the container. Do you know what this is?

ANSWER: Greetings Jackie,

Congratulations on your lovely plant. It is a Mandevilla, which is a tropical plant that blooms from spring to fall. It is actually a vine, so you might want to put it against a trellis.

Care is easy. Put it in full sun with well drained moist soil. Allow the top couple of inches to dry out between waterings. If you want the best of blooms, give it a mild fertilization every two weeks. Pruning is easy, just pinch the growth back with your fingers. If you would like a bushier plant, cut it back and will respond well.

You did not tell me where you live. This is a tropical plant, so if you live in a cold climate it is easiest to maintain by leaving it in the container and bringing the container indoors before temperatures drop. Put it in a south facing window, and it will do very well all winter long until you can move it back outdoors.

I am caring for a garden now, in Illinois, that has this beautiful plant in a container on the patio. It's a piece of cake to care for, and I am thinking of acquiring one myself.

So again, congratulations on receiving such a lovely gift.

And if you need any more information, please do not hesitate to write again.

Best wishes,

Donna

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QUESTION: OMG Donna thank you so much for your QUICK, AWESOME Response!!!
I absolutely love this and you are right it is a vine I actually have a bird house above this and the vine is wrapping around it. I live in RHODE ISLAND.....very cold winters :( I really want to take this inside and was wondering if it will last indoors??

Answer
Hi Jackie,

Do you have a room that faces south?

I have overwintered, in a southfacing room, hibiscus, musa tropical banana), flowering maple. Hey, I overwintered a small abelia that was zone 6!

You need that southern sun, and then you need to water sparingly, using no fertilizer.

I have a picture, taken in February, that actually shows two brugmansia plants coming up in a pot. As well as ruella. In a southfacing situation (the brightest light you can find in the north) -  yes! You can do this!

Donna