This evergreen, spreading and climbing vine is covered with vivid white trumpet-shaped blooms up to 5 inches across. The throat of each flower is deep yellow. The dark green, glossy leaves are produced on slender, green, twining stems which become woody with age. Blooming during the warm months of the year, Allamanda should only be planted in frost-free locations, although it could be grown as an annual in colder climates due to its rapid growth rate.
Figure 1. Full form—Allamanda bolivinensis: bolivian allamanda. Credit: Edward F. Gilman, UF/IFAS
Figure 2. Flower—Allamanda bolivinensis: bolivian allamanda. Credit: Edward F. Gilman, UF/IFAS
General Information
Scientific name: Allamanda bolivinensis
Pronunciation: al-luh-MAN-duh bo-liv-vin-NEN-sis
Common name(s): Bolivian allamanda
Family: Apocynaceae
Plant type: ground cover
USDA hardiness zones: 9B through 11 (Figure 3)
Planting month for zone 9: year-round
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year-round
Origin: not native to North America
Invasive potential: aggressive, spreading plant
Uses: container or above-ground planter; ground cover; cascading down a wall; hanging basket
Availability: generally available in many areas within its hardiness range
Figure 3. Shaded area represents potential planting range.
Description
Height: depends upon supporting structure
Spread: depends upon supporting structure
Plant habit: spreading
Plant density: moderate
Growth rate: fast
Texture: coarse
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: whorled
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: oblong
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: white
Flower characteristic: year-round flowering; pleasant fragrance
Fruit
Fruit shape: pod or pod-like
Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches
Fruit cover: dry or hard
Fruit color: green
Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: typically multi-trunked or clumping stems
Winter interest: plant has winter interest due to unusual form, nice persistent fruits, showy winter trunk, or winter flowers
Outstanding plant: plant has outstanding ornamental features and could be planted more
Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant
Use and Management
The erect sprawling growth habit makes it ideal for quick coverage of trellises, arbors, or on a tree trunk. Many people use it to cover the base of a mailbox or pole. Allamanda will cascade over a retaining wall and makes a nice hanging basket. Rapid growth creates a sprawling form with individual shoots growing alone, away from the rest of the plant. Regular pinching will keep the plant in bounds, but too much pinching removes flower buds which form on new growth.
Requiring full-sun locations for best flowering (some flowers are produced in locations receiving only 3 to 4 hours of sun), Allamanda is tolerant of various soil types and requires only moderate moisture. Regular, light fertilization during the growing season helps promote growth and flowering.
Design Considerations
The Bolivian Allamanda works well as a background or massing plant when grown on a trellis or fence to block undesirable views or fill gaps along walls. The medium-size, dark green foliage of the Allamanda shows well with contrasting plant features such as large leaves, coarse texture, thick stems, and light green or burgundy colors. The loose, sprawling form of the vine contrasts with neat plants such as the clumping, arching forms of grasses and other vase-shaped, small-leaved shrubs. Low-growing groundcover with a mounding or matting form will emphasize the upright form of a trained allamanda on a trellis. To create a large plant mass along a fence select other vines with a variety of flower colors to mix with the white allamanda for more interest.
Pests and Diseases
A witches' broom can deform allamanda. Mites can infest the foliage.
