Pruning Mandevilla Vines: How To Cut Back A Mandevilla Properly

mandevilla prune

(Image credit: © Jill Lang)

last updated 1 February 2023

Mandevilla is a beautiful, prolific flowering vine that thrives in hot weather. As long as it’s not exposed to cold temperatures, it will grow vigorously, reaching as long as 20 feet (6 m.) in length. If allowed to grow untended, however, it can start to get an unkempt appearance and not flower as much as it could. This is why pruning mandevilla vines at least once per year is recommended. Keep reading to learn more about how to cut back a mandevilla vine effectively.

Should I Cut Back Mandevilla?

This is a commonly asked question with a resounding, yes. Knowing when to prune mandevilla vines is key to continued health and vigorous blooms. Cutting back a mandevilla vine is best done in late winter or early spring, before the plant starts to produce new growth.

Mandevilla vines put out new growth faithfully and quickly, and the summer’s flowers all bloom on this new growth. Because of this, cutting back a mandevilla vine drastically won't hurt it or particularly affect its summer display, as long as you do it before it puts out its new shoots.

You can cut back old growth or branches that are getting out of hand straight down to the ground. They should sprout new strong stems in the spring. Even branches that aren’t getting unruly benefit from being pruned somewhat, encouraging new growth and giving the whole plant a bushier, more compact feel.

A single stem of old growth that’s cut back should sprout several shoots of new growth. Cutting back a mandevilla vine can also be done during the growing season. You should never prune new growth vigorously, because this will result in fewer flowers.

You can, however, pinch off the ends of new growth early in the spring, once it’s reached a few inches (7.5 cm.) in length. This should encourage it to split into two new shoots, making the whole plant fuller and more prone to flowering.

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.