Allamanda Cultivation
Genus: Allamanda
Common Name: Allamanda
Family: Apocynaceae
Appearance: Sprawling shrubs or climbers with highly coloured flowers. Large seed capsules usually with a thorny shell. All parts of the plant considered poisonous, although some native medicines use them as a laxative and colic treatment when administered in light doses.
Flowers: Commonly yellow trumpets, but hybridising has resulted in new colours. Long flowering period.
Features: Brightly coloured plant used in tropical landscapes as small hedging plants. Some have been used successfully as a bonsai specimen.
Requirements: Prefers moist fertile well-drained soils. Adapted to clays and sandy types. Regular watering and fertilising will encourage growth and flowers. Excessive nitrogen fertilisers may result in poor flowering. Not a good coastal plant. Provide plenty of water and sunlight. Will tolerate light shade.
Culture: A general garden complete fertiliser twice of three times a year. Prune to control shape. Propagate by cuttings or by seed.
Pest & Disease :Prone to mealy bugs and thrips - use Malathion. Scale - use white oil Spider mites - use wettable sulphur or a miticide.
Species & Varieties:
About 12 species, including:
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A. cathartica -Vine like stems that can grow to more than 12m long,
with dark, glossy green leaves. Very showy flowers, which generally last
6-8 weeks. Several named varieties exist. Has been known to be pruned
into a shrub.
A. grandiflora - A variety of A. cathartica with larger flowers.
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Allamanda cathartica
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A. neriifolia (syn. A. schotii) -Bushy, fast growing shrub to 1.8m tall
with smaller flowers than A. cathartica, which are followed by large
spiky seed pods.
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Allamanda neriofolia
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| A. violacea (syn. A. purpurea, A. blanchetii) -Flowers can vary from pink to purple in colour. Small shrub/climber habit. |
Allamanda violacea
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