This allamanda bush is another new discovery for me.  Like the Salvia patens, it will get 3 feet tall before summer’s end.  The very large, trumpet shaped yellow blooms really attracted me, and I think they’ll do the same for my hummingbirds.  So far it has bloomed continuously. 

    The allamanda is an evergreen shrub and is a naturalized plant in tropical zones, where it can grow from 1 to 3 feet per year and can become invasive.  Being a tropical plant, it is quite sensitive to frost, though my info says it will tolerate temps down to 28 degrees -- not hardy enough for me to keep as a perennial, unless I take the pot indoors.  I did that this past winter with my plumbago, which has blooms of cornflower blue and is now 4 or 5 times the size it would be if I had just bought and planted it.

    But given that this plant can reach 6 feet or more in height in tropical zones, I’m starting to wonder if I want to do that.  Wrestling a 6-foot potted plant isn’t my idea of a fun workout.  Maybe it’s best to just enjoy it for the summer.

© K. Wills Sterling, 2009