Illustration
Vinca
Catharanthus roseus
Vinca blooms from June through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Vinca
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. Expect it to reach about 12 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Vinca
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Vinca into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Vinca get?
12 intall5 ft 7 inan adult12 inwideSee Vinca in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Vinca
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Vinca about 12 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Vinca to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Vinca's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionCatharanthus roseusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension FPS112 (Catharanthus roseus: Periwinkle, Madagascar...height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterAnnual Vincaheight, spread, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenCatharanthus roseusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- toptropicals.comTop Tropicals (Catharanthus roseus, Madagascar Periwinkle)height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- asu.eduArizona State University, Virtual Library of Phoenix Landscape Plants...height, sun and trait tags
- University of Georgia ExtensionFlowering Annuals for Georgia Gardensheight, sun and trait tags
- Swallowtail Garden SeedsVinca Seeds, Catharanthus roseussun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 6 varieties across 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Vinca group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot | Orange | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Coral | Orange | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Purple | Purple | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Red | Red | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Rose | Pink | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Vincathis page | Pink | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| White | White | Jun–Oct | Annual (replant yearly) | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
Good to know about Vinca
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
All parts are poisonous if eaten; the toxic principle is vinca alkaloids. ASPCA lists it toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with vomiting, seizures and worse. per ASPCA
Worth knowing
This bedding plant is the source of two real chemotherapy drugs, vinblastine and vincristine. They arrest dividing cells by binding tubulin, which is why every part is also poisonous. per Molecules
How much shade it takes
Sources split on shade. All agree full sun gives the most flowers and least disease, so give it full sun and treat light afternoon shade as tolerable, not ideal. per NC State and Clemson
Not the shade groundcover periwinkle
This is Catharanthus roseus, a heat-loving sun annual. It shares the name 'periwinkle' with trailing Vinca minor and major, the shade groundcover, but they are different plants with opposite needs. per NC State
Thrives in hot, dry sun
One of the most reliable annuals for hot, sunny, dry beds and containers: it keeps flowering through the hottest weather and heat stress when many bedding annuals stall. per Iowa State
Overwatering, not drought, kills it
Cold, wet, poorly drained soil drives fatal root and stem rot (Phytophthora); there is no cure once infected. Water sparingly and, in humid regions, choose a Cora or Nirvana cultivar. per Clemson
Self-cleaning: skip deadheading
Spent flowers drop on their own. Modern compact hybrids need no deadheading to keep blooming and no pinching to stay tidy, a core low-maintenance selling point. per NC State
What pairs well with Vinca
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low water; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Freesia
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Thyme
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.