I am so excited and am praying that my excitement won't be short-lived! I always overwinter my mandevilla. They never look as pretty the next year, but they do thrive and bloom profusely in the direct sun. Last year they went to seed for the first time. I saved the pods and let them dry until they split open. There were a thousand seeds of the type carried by wind. I planted some. Others, I just lay atop the wet soil and covered them loosely with plastic wrap. I put them in a bright spot inside. It took weeks, no months, but when I looked today, they are sprouting!!!! Don't give up on them!

Wow! what an amazing thread for such a beautiful plant, from my experience and what ive seen is that these do fine-- given light-- not cut back at all maybe for height and space convenience near a bright window, preferably south, and it will bloom still, not as much but still something to make you smile in december and january. Then once your area starts to get warm and nights are above 55-65, watch this thing take off! and pinch back for blooms if you like

I have overwintered two different types of Mandevilla vines twice now (this winter will be the third). The first summer they were both about equal in display. This past spring, once placed outside, in full sun, one of them thrived and put on a dazzling, never ending display of bright new blooms and healthy foliage. This plant had smaller, smoother, and deeper green leaves with a smaller, almost red flower The other, looked extremely healthy, with beautiful foliage, but never set a single bud! This plant has a larger, lighter colored, and very textured leaf, with very large, very pink flowers (when it flowered at all!). I had kept them both in bright windows with no direct sunlight, and under almost identical temperatures, allowing for the two different rooms they were kept in. I then set them outdoors in a bright location to harden, once danger of frost had passed, then into sun, and began using the same fertilizer, diluted, twice per month. Even allowing for their obvious varietal differences, aren't the two results extremely unusual? This winter I'm allowing them to go dormant, and keeping them in a day and night cool dirt floor cellar, where the temp's a fairly constant 55 degrees Is this a good idea and if not, what is? Thank you. Beth.

Robin, I tried sending you an answer to the question that you emailed me and got a message from yahoo saying that it was undeliverable. Anyhow, I am not sure where to get seeds right now..maybe on the FL or Calif. forums people may have more luck with thier mandevilleas being pollinated thereby have fresh seeds available. They seem to be pollinated better in tropical/subtropical enviornments. My mandevillea had a pod last year but I didn't get any this year. I think that one pod was due to being pollinated by hawk/hummingbird moths. You would probably get flowers sooner by starting with a plant. There are lots of online places that sell mandevillas and your Lowes or H. D. may have them come summer. Hope this helps.