Vinca
Catharanthus roseus
Vinca blooms from June through October.
Mature size, 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.
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.
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.
Comes in 6 varieties across 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Vinca
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
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; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Pampas Grass
Shares full sun and low water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; stands well above at 8.2 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; a soft color beside the pink.
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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.