Mandevilla

That's a beautiful shrub behind. Is it a rose? Loads of blooms!!

Quoted by Pitta (my mother) the garden expert.

This is a Carphalea kirondron Family: Rubiaceae Origin: Madagascar. Common name Giant Pentas though it isn't actually a pentas. It is a large shrub with large heads of brilliant red bracts tipped with small white flowers.

I999 mum was hospitalised for 5 months in Townsville after a stroke. On her return she did a tour of the garden and to her surprise the giant pentas which was 5ft high and flowering 5 months earlier had vanished. Dad told her the white ants ate its roots and it fell over so he just threw it in the bush. Mum got him to confess the true story. He was rolling an old rusted water tank down the yard for a mate to collect when it veered off track straight over the said shrub and broke it off to ground level. Mum got dad to retreive the shrub, prune the roots and dead stems by half and replant in a fresh position which dad did . The shrub was watered every day until new shoots popped out 3 weeks later. Ten years on it's thriving plus where the shrub grew originally it shot again from the underground roots. This is a very hardy shrub and once established is drought resistant.

Lucky Dad!!!! He just about got away with that one then. It's a fantastic flowerer, so many blooms. Thanks to your mum for the information. I can't say I have ever heard of or seen this one before. Fantastic!