Endemic to Madagascar, but widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere.
Semi-evergreen, herbaceous perennial growing up to 4 feet tall
Extremely susceptible to cold and snow, leading to it often being grown as an annual
Does well in most sun and soil conditions, but the soil needs to be well drained and acidic.
Leaves are small and round, with a very glossy and smooth texture.
Formerly known as Vinca rosea.
Hardienss zone 10-11
Sentimental and Symbolic Value
The periwinkle is symbol of love, hope, and purity, especially the blue varieties. In Christian cultures, it is known as the "Virigin Flower" and thus connected with the Virgin Mary.
It is variously considered a weed, an invasive nuisance, a highly-sought after ornamental and a glamorized exotic.
In Malagasy culture, as well as cultures of places with similar climates where it was introduced, it is considered a representation of resilience and strength, and early marketers of the plant in the global north tried to use this as a selling point. But in reality, the plant in colder climates is very frail and thus gained a Western connotation of weakness and innocence.
Specimen photographed found on Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Part of the Urban Ornamental Plants assignment (10/27/2021)
Plant History and Etymology
The term Catharanthus comes from the Greek καθαρός (katharós, “clean”) and ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”), while roseus is Latin for "rose-like" or "rose-colored". It has been used in herbal medicine as far back as 2600 BC Mesopotamia, being used extensively around the Old World to prevent and treat numerous diseases including malaria, diabetes and Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the 1950s, Canadian scientists Robert Noble and Charles Beer discovered organic compounds in the C. roseus called vinca alkaloids which have since shown promising signs in treating cancer. Drugs made from these substances are the second most used class of cancer drugs in the world.
Design Considerations
Flowers are very showy and bloom for a long time, beginning in June and persisting until frost. Flowers range from pink and purple to white to gold. It attracts butterflies and pollinators and is very resistant to deer and other herbivorous animals, making it a great plant in a wide variety of landscapes. Unlike the Vinca minor (common periwinkle), it can be both a groundcover and an erect, compact plant depending on how it is maintained. Its winter-intolerance is the major issue for planting it in the northeast, because it will rarely make it through the long, harsh winter.
Sources
CURRY, HELEN ANNE. “Naturalising the Exotic and Exoticising the Naturalised: Horticulture, Natural History and the Rosy Periwinkle.” Environment and History 18, no. 3 (2012): 343–65. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23250940.
Moudi, Maryam, Rusea Go, Christina Yong Seok Yien, and Mohd Nazre. 2013. “Vinca Alkaloids.” International Journal of Preventive Medicine 4 (11): 1231–35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3883245/.
“Catharanthus Roseus (Annual Vinca, Madagascar Periwinkle, Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Running Myrtle, Vinca) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” 2021. Ncsu.edu. 2021. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/catharanthus-roseus/.
“Catharanthus Roseus - Plant Finder.” 2021. Missouribotanicalgarden.org. 2021. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a569.
P, Rebekah. 2021. “Periwinkle Flower Meaning and Symbolism.” Florgeous. April 16, 2021. https://florgeous.com/periwinkle-flower-meaning/#:~:text=The%20periwinkle%20flower%20is%20a,existence%20for%20over%20200%20years.