Looking to add vibrant colors and variety to your garden or containers? Check out our guide on the Best Types of Vincas below.
Vincas, also known as periwinkles, is a popular choice for gardeners who want to add long-lasting, colorful blooms to their landscape. With their vibrant hues and versatility, vincas can be grown in garden beds, containers, and hanging baskets, providing a stunning display of color throughout the summer months. In this article, we’ll explore the Best Types of Vincas.
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Best Types of Vincas
- Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus): Also known as the “Old World periwinkle” or “rosary periwinkle,” it is an evergreen shrub that grows up to 3 feet tall and is covered in fragrant white or pink flowers.
- Bigleaf Periwinkle (Vinca major): It is an evergreen subshrub with trailing or climbing stems that can reach up to 1.5 meters long. The leaves are glossy green, oval to heart-shaped, and roughly 2–7 cm long.
- Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor): It is a hardy, evergreen perennial that is native to Europe. It is an attractive, low-growing ground cover with glossy, dark green leaves.
- Trailing Periwinkle (Vinca difformis): A ground-covering evergreen vine that is native to Europe but is found growing in many parts of the United States. The plant has glossy, deep green leaves.
- Variegated Periwinkle (Vinca major variegata): It is an evergreen perennial plant that features glossy, dark green foliage with creamy white edges. It produces small, star-shaped, lavender-blue flowers
- Variegated Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus variegata): It is an evergreen, frost-sensitive shrub that is grown as an annual in cooler climates.
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Best Varieties of Vincas
1. Cora Cascade Magenta
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Cora Cascade Magenta’
This trailing variety has an impressive spread of 2 to 3 feet. It produces an endless display of blooms throughout the entire summer season.
2. Cora Red
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Cora Red’
With its eye-catching scarlet flowers featuring a charming white center, the ‘Cora Red’ annual vinca is a variety that truly stands out. This sun-loving plant is also versatile enough to thrive in partial shade.
3. Cascade Strawberry
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Cascade Strawberry’
This disease-resistant and trailing variety can spread up to 2 to 3 feet in diameter, providing a stunning visual impact.
4. Soiree Kawaii Pink
Botanical Name: Catharanthus Soiree Kawaii Pink
The plant produces an abundance of vivid pink flowers that cover it throughout the summer season. Measuring 8 inches in height and 18 inches in width, it is perfect for small baskets.
5. Cora Apricot
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Cora Apricot’
Moist and humid conditions won’t impede the performance of the ‘Cora Apricot annual vinca in your garden. This robust variety boasts attractive apricot-colored flowers.
6. Soiree Kawaii Coral
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Soiree Kawaii Coral’
Introduce a charming addition to your garden with the Soiree Kawaii Coral vinca. This variety flaunts an abundance of small flowers, creating a delightful, natural appearance while requiring minimal maintenance.
7. Soiree Double White
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Soiree Double White’
Soiree Double White is a remarkable addition to the Vinca family, boasting twice the number of petals as its counterparts, which creates a lavish, textured appearance.
8. Cora White
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Cora White’
Transform your garden into a serene oasis with the crisp, snowy blooms of the ‘Cora White’ annual vinca. This robust flower produces abundant clusters of white flowers that last throughout the summer season.
9. Soiree Kawaii Lavender
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Soiree Kawaii Lavender’
The Soiree Kawaii Lavender vinca blooms profusely with numerous small lavender-pink flowers throughout the summer season.
10. Soiree Kawaii Pink Peppermint
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Soiree Kawaii Pink Peppermint’
This low-maintenance variety displays small, delicate pink flowers that impart a delightful natural look in contrast to other hybrid varieties. It has a height of 10 inches and a width of 18 inches when fully grown.
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11. Valiant Burgundy Vinca
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Valiant Burgundy’
This fast-growing plant adds a significant burst of color to your garden, featuring pinwheel-shaped blooms that are a beautiful deep burgundy-pink color.
12. Valiant Apricot Vinca
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Valiant Apricot’
Valiant Apricot is a variety that boasts warm-pink flowers on sizeable and fast-growing plants. This robust plant continues to bloom throughout the summer despite hot weather conditions.
13. Valiant Orchid Vinca
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Valiant Orchid’
Valiant orchid vinca produces 20-inch-tall vigorous plants that showcase stunning lavender-blue flowers and can expand up to 15 inches in width.
14. Valiant Lilac Vinca
Botanical Name: Catharanthus ‘Valiant Lilac’
Valiant Lilac Vinca is a sturdy and robust plant that displays numerous beautiful lavender-pink flowers throughout the summer season. It can reach a size of 24 inches in both height and width.
15. Traditional Vinca
Botanical Name: Vinca minor ‘Traditional’
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance plant to control soil erosion on shady or partly shady slopes, consider the ‘Traditional’ variety of Vinca minor, also known as Myrtle or Periwinkle.
16. Pacifica
Botanical Name: Cataranthus roseus ‘Pacifica’
The series of annual vinca varieties, including “Pacifica Polka Dot” of Catharanthus roseus, can grow more than two feet tall and showcase larger flowers with petals that overlap.
17. Mediterranean
Botanical Name: Cataranthus roseus ‘Mediterranean’
The “Mediterranean” series is a low-growing, trailing vine that is a prolific spreader and can branch out up to two feet wide. It comes in a wide range of shades.
18. Stardust Orchid
Botanical Name: Cataranthus roseus ‘Stardust Orchid’
This plant is effortless to cultivate and produces large, early-blooming flowers. Each individual blossom is adorned with a striking white star-shaped center surrounded by vibrant orchid hues.
19. Peppermint Cooler Tray
Botanical Name: Cataranthus roseus ‘Peppermint Cooler Tray’
The Vinca Peppermint Cooler variety yields abundant single flowers in white with pink centers, which sit atop its attractive green foliage.
20. Heatwave Raspberry
Botanical Name: Cataranthus roseus ‘Heatwave Series Raspberry’
This diminutive bedding Vinca boasts stunning raspberry-hued blossoms. Despite its delicate appearance, this flower is highly resilient to both heat and drought.
21. Bowles’s Blue
Botanical Name: Vinca minor ‘Bowles’s Variety’
‘Bowles’s Variety’ is an evergreen perennial that forms a dense mat and can grow up to 7 inches tall. It has dark green, ovate leaves and produces violet-blue flowers.
22. Sterling Silver
Botanical Name: Vinca ‘Sterling Silver’
The lush foliage of Vinca, with its cream-edged deep green leaves, provides a beautiful backdrop for the striking old blue flowers. This plant is fast-growing and has a long lifespan.
