Madagascar periwinkles rule

I know that I say it about a lot of flowers, but the Madagascar periwinkle is really something special.  This evergreen perennial is also sometimes called Vinca.  In addition to its original rose pink color, periwinkle flower colors range from white, red, purple, apricot and pink to bi-color blooms.  They don’t take a freeze well, but as far as summer bloomers that take the summer heat, these should be in your flower bed for 2015.

You can purchase ready-to-go plants or seeds to begin your periwinkle bed.  I started  some from a package of seeds last year and successfully had almost more than I could use.   Seeds take six to eight weeks to reach blooming size, so plan ahead.  A site in full sun with good drainage is required for periwinkles.  They do not like overly wet soil and root rots can develop – sometimes foliar diseases develop as well.  Three good months of blooming is a reasonable goal for this plant.

All is not always well in Periwinkle-Ville!  As mentioned earlier, although very heat tolerant, periwinkles do not like to be too wet. The arrival of heavy summer rains may promote and trigger a variety of fungal diseases that can take your periwinkles down.  Fortunately, if you have had  problems with mid-summer periwinkle failures,  there is a variety called ‘Cora’ which has bred-in foliage disease resistance.  ‘Cora’ periwinkles come in a good number of colors (and larger flowers) to satisfy any taste. 

While periwinkles can grow upwards to two to three feet at maturity and get a bit leggy, most will be around fourteen to sixteen inches tall.  Each plant develops into a mounding specimen suitable for edging, as groundcover, mass planting, cascading down a wall and even in a hanging basket.  Periwinkles flourish in poor soils, so don’t feel the need to add any organic matter which would tend to make the soil retain excess moisture.  Also, when planting, plant them high and not deeper as you might some seedlings.  Culturally, this will help reduce the chances of root tot issues. 

While periwinkles have their challenges, they are fully worthwhile and gardeners should plant more!  For more information on all types of flowers suitable for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. & Howe, T. (2011) Catharanthus roseus Periwinkle, Madagascar Periwinkle.  The University of Floruida Extension Service, IFAS. 

Christman, S. (2012) Catharanthus roseus.  Floridata.com, Tallahassee, FL.

Caldwell, D. (2008) A Rainey Season Periwinkle? The University of Floruida Extension Service, IFAS – Collier County.