Is Scarlet Mandevilla Deer Resistant?

Deer can be pests in the garden.

Mandevilla sanderi is an evergreen vine also called Dipladenia splendens. Brazilian jasmine is its common name. Named cultivars 'Red Riding Hood' and 'Scarlet Pimpernel' both have funnel shaped deep red blooms.

Deer Resistance

Plants are rated by how often deer damage them.

Plants are rated by horticultural stations like Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station by resistance to deer damage. According to master gardeners at UC Cooperative Extension, "The most resistant plants are poisonous, some at all times and others only at certain stages of growth. Palatability of nontoxic plants also varies with plant age or with the seasons."

Scarlet Mandevilla

Mandevilla sanderi does not appear on lists of vines and perennials that are deer resistant. The red cultivars Red Riding Hood and Scarlet Pimpernel are not mentioned on the deer resistant lists.

Name Confusion

There are over 100 Mandevilla species, so it is easy to get names and types confused. Even common names resemble each other; for instance Mandevilla laxa is known as Chilean jasmine and Mandevilla sanderi is known as Brazilian jasmine.

Mandevilla Laxa

Mandevilla laxa is listed as deer resistant. The leaves are smaller and less succulent than Mandevilla sanderi, which may be why deer do not prefer it.

Mandevilla Sun Parasol

Mandevilla Sun Parasol is a bright red cultivar of Mandevilla laxa and should have the same deer resistance.

References

• Wilkinson Garden Services: Mandevilla (Brazilian Jasmine)
• Weidners Gardens: Dipladenia or Mandevilla Sanderi
• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Mandevilla Laxa
• University of Florida IFAS Extension Monroe: Plants that Iguanas and Key Deer Ignore or Eat
• Star Gardens Nursery: Deer Resistant Plants

Resources

• Rutgers University Experiment Station: Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance
• Native Plant Society of Texas: Camouflage Gardening
• North Carolina State University Extension: Deer Resistant Plants
• University of California Extension Placer-Nevada Counties: Deer-Resistant Plants for the Sierra Foothills (Zone 7)
• San Marcos Growers: Mandevilla Sun Parasol Giant Crimson