Wikimedia Commons
Apocynaceae
Madagascar Periwinkle
Catharanthus roseus
Life-saving beauty and hidden medicinal power.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Catharanthus
- Native to
- Madagascar
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- herbaceous perennial (often grown as annual)
- Height
- 30–60 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, average to poor
- Water
- low; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 10–12 (annual elsewhere)
- Lifespan
- perennial in tropics; annual in temperate regions
Did you know
- It produces vincristine and vinblastine, two of the most important chemotherapy drugs, which revolutionized leukemia treatment.
- Before these alkaloids were discovered, childhood leukemia had a 10% survival rate — now it exceeds 90%.
- The plant contains over 130 different alkaloid compounds, making it a pharmaceutical treasure trove.
- Despite its life-saving importance, it is critically endangered in the wild forests of Madagascar.
- It blooms non-stop in hot weather, making it one of the most reliable bedding plants for summer gardens.
Color meanings
Pink
healing and hope
White
purity of purpose