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Apocynaceae
Rose Periwinkle
Catharanthus roseus
Healing and perseverance.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Catharanthus
- Native to
- Madagascar
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 12-24 in
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- well-drained, slightly acidic
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 10-12
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- It produces vincristine and vinblastine, two alkaloids used in chemotherapy to treat leukemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- Over 130 different alkaloids have been isolated from this single plant species.
- Traditional Malagasy healers used it for centuries to treat diabetes before modern science validated its properties.
- It is one of the most studied medicinal plants in the world, with research spanning over 60 years.
- Despite being native to Madagascar, it has naturalized on every continent with tropical or subtropical climates.
Color meanings
0
healing
1
perseverance
2
eternal remembrance