Catharanthus roseus

Madagascar periwinkle

Family: Apocynaceae

Other common names: aagdeblom (Afrikaans), عناقية وردية (Arabic), alegria (Catalan), 长春花 (Chinese Simplified), 長春花 (Chinese Traditional), barvínkovec růžový (Czech), rosen-singrøn (Danish), oldmaid, rosy periwinkle (English), ruusukatara (Finnish), pervenche de Madagascar (French), Δαφνούλα (Greek), kihapai (Hawaiian), וינקה ורודה (Hebrew), sadabahar (Hindi), tapak dara (Indonesian), pervinca del Madagascar (Italian), ニチニチソウ (Japanese), 일일초 (Korean), kaka poul (Kwéyòl), katarantus różowy (Polish), Vinca-de-Madagascar (Portuguese), Jabonera de Madagascar, vinca (Spanish), rosensköna (Swedish), แพงพวยฝรั่ง (Thai), Катарантус рожевий (Ukrainian), ḽiluvha (Venda), ikhwinini (Zulu)

IUCN Red List status: Not Evaluated

Plant description

Madagascar periwinkle grows as a herb or small shrub, sprawling along the ground or growing up to 1m tall. The flowers can be pink or white, with five petals and a long tube connecting them to the stem. The leaves are dark green, oval shaped, and grow in opposite pairs along the stem. The fruits are made up of two narrow, cocoon-like pods, which dry out and open to reveal a number of black, grooved seeds.

Read the scientific profile for Madagascar periwinkle

Close up of a delicate pink flower with water droplets on petals — Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) © RBG Kew

Collection of pink and white flowers — Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) varieties, CC BY Rafaël Govaerts

A large shiny green oval shaped leaf — Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) leaf © Egon Krogsgaard

Plant uses

Cultural

Madagascar periwinkle is a popular ornamental plant for growing in pots or beds.

Health

Madagascar periwinkle is a source of anti-cancer medicines vinblastine, vincristine and vinorelbine.

Madagascar periwinkle, and other Catharanthus species, are used in both Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine as treatments for diabetes, hypertension and leukaemia.

A medicine that increases insulin secretions, vincoline, has been extracted from Madagascar periwinkle.

Did you know?

The genus name of the Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus, is Greek for 'pure flower'.
Along with their medical importance, the periwinkle is also used as a host plant to study unique plant bacteria called phytoplasmas.

Where in the world?

A map of the world showing where madagascar periwinkle is native and introduced to

Native: Madagascar

Introduced: Alabama, Aldabra, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Aruba, Ascension, Assam, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Borneo, Burkina, California, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Central American Pac, Chad, Chagos Archipelago, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Comoros, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Easter Is., El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, French Guiana, Gabon, Galápagos, Gambia, Gilbert Is., Guatemala, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jawa, Kazan-retto

Habitat:

Tropical and subtropical areas, on sand and limestone soils in woodland, forest, grassland, and disturbed areas.