Is Vinca a Perennial?

Vinca is the genus name for a variety of species of flowers. Some species of vinca are annuals and some are perennials.

Annual Vinca

• Annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus), also called Madagascar periwinkle or simply vinca, thrives in sunny areas and blooms all summer until frost. Most annual vinca grows 8 to 12 inches tall, but some varieties can grow up to 18 inches tall.

Perennial Vinca Vines

• Some plants in the genus vinca are perennial vines. Vinca minor (perennial periwinkle) is a viney broadleaf evergreen that is commonly used for groundcover in partial shade. vinca major (big periwinkle) is a fast growing perennial groundcover with evergreen foliage and blue flowers.

The Vinca Name

• According to the CSU/Denver County Extension Master Gardener, the vinca name came to be applied to both annuals and perennials because the first plant botanists who saw Catharanthus roseus thought the flower closely resembled vinca minor. Although the botanists later identified the differences between the plants, the name vinca had become too common to change.