The mandevilla plant has become a common patio plant, and rightfully so. The brilliant mandevilla flowers add a tropical flair to any landscape. Once you buy a mandevilla vine, you may wonder what you need to do to be successful at growing mandevilla.

Tropical plant - A vigorous vining mandevilla with luxurious dark green foliage that provides a nice foil and 4 to 6 inch wide white flowers with deep yellow throats.

Tropical plant - A vigorous vining mandevilla with luxurious dark green foliage that provides a nice foil and 4 to 6 inch wide white flowers with deep yellow throats.

This lovely tropical climber has showy, funnel-shaped blossoms with five broad, pointed lobes that gracefully unfurl above shiny, dark green leaves. Native to Central and South America, Mandevilla is usually grown here as an annual on a trellis in large containers. It can be overwintered indoors in a warm, sunny room.

Japanese banana is a fast-growing, herbaceous perennial that has a tropical appearance. It has very large, paddle-shaped, bright green leaves that arch from the pseudo-stem. The thick false stem is created by overlapped or whorled leaves. Clusters of creamy or yellow tubular flowers appear during the summer. They are followed by small ornamental inedible fruits. In warmer climates, it is evergreen, but wherever the Japanese banana is planted it is prized for its tropical foliage and ornamental flowers.