Dipladenia Diamantina Jade White

Dipladenia or Mandevilla Diamantina Jade White is a very compact climbing plant that forms a veritable bush covered with white flowers with orange centres, blooming without interruption until the first frost. It is the first variety of Dipladenia to offer flowers in this immaculate shade of white, made almost sparkling by its beautiful dark and shiny foliage. Plants from the Diamantina series are generous but sensitive to cold; they will happily spend the winter season behind a bay window, in a bright veranda or a slightly heated greenhouse, and will keep you company for many years.

Mandevilla, named in honour of diplomat and gardener Henry Mandeville, are rapid-growing climbing plants, mostly originating from the tropical forests of the Serra de Orgaos, near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Native to high altitudes, these tropical plants thrive in temperate climates spared from frost, in partial shade or filtered summer light. In the 1970s Robert Lannes, a French horticulturist based in Tarn et Garonne, was the first to take an interest in hybridizing these plants with their immense potential. Years of research and selection have resulted in particularly floriferous varieties, more compact, with varied colours, easy to grow for amateur gardeners.

The Diamantina series, derived in part from Mandevilla sanderi, produces plants with a compact habit well suited to pot cultivation and stands out for its wide range of colours, some of which are unique - such as the bright white and yellow-orange heart of Jade White.

'Diamantina Jade White' has a bushy and compact habit. Its short twining stems, woody at the base, wrap easily around a small support. It will reach an average size of 40cm (15 in) in all directions, with rapid growth. Its beautiful and large flowers, 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, are composed of 5 large pure white lobes that overlap like the blades of a propeller. Grouped in small clusters, they bloom continuously from May until the first frost. The evergreen and leathery foliage is composed of small entire leaves, dark green, arranged in an opposite pattern. The thick and leathery lamina, oval to elliptical in shape, measures 5 to 6cm (2.4 in) in length and has a shiny upper surface. This plant has both fine roots and large tuberous roots which function as true reserve organs containing starch and water, allowing the plant to withstand drought quite well.

Mandevilla is often used for ornamenting terraces, balconies or patios, or to decorate a pergola or trellis, alone or in a mix of colours. This Diamantina Jade White variety, resistant to heat, and with its very bushy habit, will thrive in a large standalone pot or in a planter, even on a sunny terrace or balcony. Combine it with e.g. the Jade Scarlet variety or with a dark blue Plumbago capensis, Black-eyed Susans, or passionflowers. Planting in open ground should be reserved for regions spared from frost.

Please note that our young plants in mini-plugs are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under shelter (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14C° (57.2°F) for a few weeks before planting outside once all risk of frost has passed.