The Vinca Flower: A Beautiful, Drought Tolerant Annual
The vinca flower is a crisp looking flower with leaves and petals, which almost look fake. Sometimes called a periwinkle, this annual is actually not related to the perennial periwinkle. The vinca flower comes to us from Madagascar, and it is well known for this long flowering, which begins in early summer and lasts until the fall. It is a drought tolerant flower, and it is extremely easy to care for. It is common to be placed along borders or in flower beds, and they come in a variety of colors including white, pink, magenta, purple, and even bi-colors. Butterflies also love these flowers.
As you read through, you can gain the following knowledge:
- Vinca growing instructions
- Caring for vinca
- Popular types of vinca
Vinca Growing Instructions
The vinca flower is generally hardy from Zones 9 to 12, but if you put a little more care, they can also be grown in Zone 4 to 8. Wherever you plant them, they must be placed in well-drained soil in a very sunny location. You can plant these flowers in containers, but you shouldn’t plant them in regular garden soil; only use a commercial potting soil. If you don’t, the soil might not drain well enough and root rot can set in.
This is a drought-tolerant flower, but it does best when the soil is dry to the touch to about an inch. You certainly don’t want to overwater these, as they don’t need a lot of moisture.
Caring for Vinca
The vinca flower is extremely easy to care for, and in many cases, you can just leave it alone and let it do its thing. A good all-purpose fertilizer should be used throughout this flower’s life, but if you have good soil, you probably don’t even need to use a commercial fertilizer. The vinca grows throughout the season, and some even self-seed, especially in warm, humid areas.
Once these flowers are settled, you can expect them to attract butterflies and product beautiful foliage. They are also resistant to rabbits and deer.
If you really want to bring out the best of these flowers, you should consider planting them with plants like geraniums, verbena, and Angelonia.
Popular Types of Vinca
There are many popular types of vinca out there, including the following:
Cora Cascade Magenta Vinca – If you have large containers or hanging baskets, you won’t go wrong with the cora cascade magenta variety. This flower only grows to about 6-8 inches tall, but it can spread as much as three feet in diameter. These flowers bloom all summer, and it is both heat and disease resistant.
Soiree Double White Vinca – This is one of the most stunning vinca, and it produces double the usual amount of flowers, which give it a very full, frilly appearance. It can spread as much as two feet, and it grows up to 15 inches tall.
Soiree Kawaii Pink Peppermint Vinca – If you are looking for a delicate pink vinca, this pink peppermint variety is perfect for you. It has small, delicate flowers, and like other varieties, almost looks like it might be a wildflower. It can get as tall as 10 inches and about 18 inches wide.
Soiree Kawaii Pink Vinca – This is one of the top varieties out there. It is a showy pink color, and the flowers are small and numerous. Thus, it is just a flowing bloom that can last the entire summer. Like many vinca varieties, this one gets about 8 inches tall and 18 inches wide.
Valiant Orchid Vinca – This vinca has beautiful blue-lavender flowers and grows up to 20 inches tall and 15 inches wide.
