No, it is not hardy here. You can overwinter it fairly easy inside though. I keep mine in a pot, which I move inside to a sunny window before the first hard frost. I typically cut it back to a foot or two from its base at that time. It doesn't like the move and will drop a few leaves, but it settles in for the winter pretty quickly. I move it out after the last frost and by the end of June, it's blooming its head off again.

Absolutely TOAST! They don't seem even to like tempatures below 50 degrees. Spazzycat is right about overwintering. I bought two plants last year for 3.00 a piece on the markdown table and enjoyed their blooms for about a month before I had to bring them inside. I am glad I did bring them in because they are generally sold for $20 a piece during the growing season. Good luck this year if you buy another one.

---Keith

Goners! We even had to bring them inside when I lived in zone 8b of South Carolina.

Oh ! it was so stupid of me :-(

Does it grow from cuttings ? has anyone experimented ? I might be able to get a cutting from a friend if it is worth trying.

thanks for the replies.

My mandevilla is alive !

I dug up the root ball of my mandevilla and saw several healthy tubers with fresh white roots. When I scratched the brown skin of the tubers, the fresh green color was an indication that the plant hasn't died.
So I know for sure that the tubers and the root system are alive but will plant send shoots up in spring ? I can't think of any other reason why the root system is still alive if the plant won't come back. It will be a very pleasant surprise thing if it does.

I just found out that the tubers can't be used to make new plants :-(

I found this on http://wwww.carrollgardens.com

Question: On past programs you talked about how to store mandevillas over the winter. Could you please tell me again how to do it? Also I have a purple leaf smokebush that's been in the ground for about 5 years. It's healthy except that it is wider than high, which is only about 4.5 ft. I bought it from you when it was about 3 ft. It does have root competition from some nearby plants. Is there any way to prune it so that I can get it to be more upright? I do fertilize it with plant tone.

Answer: On the Mandevilla, there are 3 methods:

1. Store the root, like a Dahlia tuber in peat moss in a cool place over the winter. Pot in early March and start indoors before planting outdoors in late May.

2. Put the pot in a cool dark place and withhold water until early March. Then cut back and move to a warm brightly lit place. Grow as a houseplant until putting outside in late May.

3. Keep growing as a houseplant all winter in a warm sunny place. Trim lightly to shape now and more severely in mid-April. Caution: use systemic granules (Di-Syston), as mandevilla is very subject to white fly.

Smoke trees can be cut back as much as you would like (even to the ground) in late January-early February. Trimming the sides should force upright growth.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Mandevilla from tubers

It decided to come alive after all - I see tiny reddish sprouts coming up. Soon it will be growing like crazy as the tubers are enormous.
So, the lesson learned is .... never give up on your Mandevilla ! It will comeback. In fairness, the mild winter we had probably helped it.

@carygardner...
Thanks for keeping my hopes alive. Although this was a short and hard winter, I would love to see my Mandevilla come back to life - and my lovely brugs.