Mandevilla x sanderi Diamantina Emerald Amber Star

Dipladenia or Mandevilla Diamantina Emerald Amber Star ('Lansouthdakota') is a new generation variety with larger flowers and an unprecedented yellow colour. This healthy variety has increased resistance to heat and dryness. It is a delightful small bushy plant with semi-climbing tendencies, well-branched and full of resources, which can adapt to all your desires. It works well trained on a support in a large pot, or growing freely in a planter. It can also be grown in the ground. It blooms for weeks on beautiful shiny dark green foliage. The Diamantina dipladenias are sturdy and generous plants, but they are sensitive to cold temperatures. They will easily survive winter behind a glass bay window, in a bright veranda, or in a mildly heated greenhouse.

Mandevilla, 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, Brazil. Growing at high altitudes, these plants thrive in temperate climates, free from frost, in partial shade or filtered light in summer. They belong to the Apocynaceae family, just like periwinkles and oleanders. In the 1970s, Robert Lannes, a French horticulturist based in Tarn et Garonne, was the first to be interested in hybridising these plants with immense potential, among which Mandevilla sanderi stands out. Years of research and selection have resulted in particularly floriferous, more compact varieties with various colours. They are easy to grow by amateur gardeners.

The Diamantina series, derived from Mandevilla sanderi (among others), produces small plants that are ideal for pot cultivation. They stand out with their wide range of colours, which includes somewhat unique shades.

Dipladenia Diamantina Emerald Amber Star has a bushy habit, but it can be trained as a small climbing plant. Its voluble stems are woody at the base. They easily wrap around a small support provided for them. It will reach about 80cm (32in) in height and 40cm (16in) in width. Its beautiful flowers, measuring 7 to 9cm (3 to 4in) in diameter, are composed of 5 large lobes that overlap like the blades of a propeller. Grouped in small clusters, they bloom continuously from May until the first frost. Upon opening, the flower is apricot in colour, then turns salmon, and finally yellow. The evergreen and leathery foliage consists of small, entire, dark green leaves arranged in an opposite manner. The thick and leathery lamina, oval to elliptical in shape, measures 5 to 6cm (2in) in length and has a shiny upper surface. This plant possesses fine roots and also large tuberous roots that contain starch and water, helping the plant to withstand drought quite well.

Dipladenia is a very popular plant for balconies and patios. It can be trained on a trellis or an arch, alone or in a mix of colours. Diamantina Emerald Amber Star can form a bushy and upright clump. It can be planted in a large flowering pot placed in an isolated spot, on a sunny patio or balcony. For example, it can be paired with a dark blue Plumbago auriculata, black-eyed Susans, or passionflowers. It can be planted directly in the ground in well-drained soil. However, this is only possible in mild regions without frost.