Madagascar Periwinkle Flower

Botanical Name: Catharanthus roseus

Providing plenty of bright light will make periwinkle flower from summer through fall.

 

This shrubby plant has upright stems densely covered with shiny, dark-green oval leaves. The leaves feature prominent light-green midribs.

Star-shaped periwinkle flowers are small -- only 1 in (2.5 cm) across -- but they cover the plant in abundance if given enough light. Flowers are typically pink with a deep-pink throat. You may also find them in white or pale lavender.

How to Care for Periwinkle Flower

Let the sun shine in. Flowering plants need plenty of light to bloom. To help your periwinkle bloom, keep your plant where it'll get a few hours of sunlight every day.

Repot in spring. Madagascar periwinkle is a vigorous grower, quickly filling a small pot in a short time. Repot when your periwinkle plant outgrows its pot, moving it up to a pot 1 size larger.

Periwinkle Flower Care Tips

Origin: Madagascar

Height: 10 in (25 cm)

Light: Bright light with some direct sunlight. Plants that don't get enough light will grow tall and leggy, with few blooms.

Water: Keep soil evenly moist. Plant it in a pot with drainage holes to prevent soggy soil.

Humidity: Moderate. If humidity falls below 50 percent, mist the foliage and place the pot on a tray of wet pebbles.

Temperature: Average to warm 65-85°F/18-29°C

Soil: Use a fast-draining potting mix. You can use an all-purpose mix and add a little perlite.

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half while periwinkle plant is growing and flowering.

Propagation: Sow seed indoors in late winter or early spring. New 3 in (8 cm) stem tip cuttings can be taken in spring or early summer and planted in moist potting mix.