General Culture:

Tropical evergreen shrub that is winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11. Grow in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Best flowering in full sun. Best performance occurs in hot and humid climates where nighttime temperatures do not dip below 60 degrees F. Prompt removal of spent flowers will promote a more profuse bloom. In St. Louis, this plant is usually grown as an annual or in containers or greenhouses. Container plants must be brought inside before first frost and overwintered as houseplants in large sunny rooms with intense bright light and moderate humidity or in a greenhouse. Thin stems to promote air circulation if fungal diseases attack the foliage. Can be difficult to grow as a houseplant due to large size.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Native to Brazil, bush allamanda is an evergreen tropical shrub. It typically grows to 4-5’ tall. Features clusters of yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers with orange-red throat stripes and leathery, elliptic to obovate, dull green leaves (2-4” long) that appear in whorls of 3-5 along the stems. If spent flowers are not deadheaded, rounded, prickly, burlike fruits will form providing some additional ornamental interest, albeit at the expense of a more profuse bloom. Freely blooms throughout the summer to first frost. This species is synonymous with and sometimes listed for sale as A. nerifolia or A. cathartica var. schottii. It is generally more shrub-like than A. cathartica. As with most dogbane family members, the stems exude a toxic milky sap. Genus name honors Frederich Allamand, an 18th century Swiss botanist.