Mandevilla sanderi Diamantina Fuchsia Intense

Dipladenia or Mandevilla Diamantina 'Intense Fuchsia' is a very compact bushy, non-climbing plant which does not exceed 50 cm high and does not need support. This variety offers giant, 10 to 11 cm diameter flowers in an intense fuchsia colour with an orange heart. They bloom on dark foliage from May until the first frost. This plant flowers generously but is sensitive to cold, it will easily survive the winter behind a bay window, in a bright conservatory or slightly heated greenhouse.

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

The Diamantina series, derived from Mandevilla sanderi among others, produces compact plants, well suited to pot cultivation and stands out for its wide range of colours, even offering some new shades such as the white with a yellow-orange heart of 'Jade White'.

'Intense Fuchsia' stands out for its particularly large flowers with a bushy and compact habit that characterises plants in this series. Its short, woody, twining stems can manage without support. It will rapidly reach an average of 30 to 50 cm in all directions. Its beautiful, large, 10 to 11 cm diameter flowers, are composed of 5 large fuchsia pink lobes that overlap like the blades of a propeller. They are grouped in small clusters and bloom continuously from May to the first frost. The evergreen and leathery foliage consists of small, entire, dark green leaves arranged in an opposite pattern. The thick and leathery, oval to elliptical leaf has a shiny upper surface. This plant has fine roots and large tuberous roots, storage organs that contain starch and water, allowing the plant to withstand drought quite well.

Dipladenias or Mandevillas are prized for decorating terraces, balconies or patios, as well as pergolas and trellises and lend themselves to a variety of settings, depending on their habit and compactness, whether planted alone or with other colours. The Diamantina 'Intense Fuchsia' variety fits well in large flower pots, which its impressive flowers illuminate, as a centrepiece or in troughs, even in the direct sun on a terrace or balcony. It harmonises perfectly in contrast with Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, or with Diamond Frost Euphorbia with white flowers or a foliage plant like Silver Falls Dichondra for a beautiful grey and fuchsia combination. It is only recommended for open ground in frost-protected areas, especially in the south of the Atlantic coast or in regions where orange trees grow, along the Mediterranean coast.