Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Madagascar
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Purple vinca, Vinca, cherry red, strawberry color
Number of Varieties
1530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
12-1
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
50.80 cm1.97 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm2.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Magenta, Pink, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Fall, Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Does not require lot of watering, Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Botrytis Blight, Canker, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Intestinal gas, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Chest pain, High blood pressure, Inflammation, Sore throat, Tooth ache, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
Catharanthus roseus
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Madagascar periwinkle or rosy periwinkle
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
Periwinkle
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Immergrün
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
Pervenche
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
Bígaro
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
μυρτιά
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
Mirta
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
Barwinek
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Periwinkle
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Mollusca
Class
Liliopsida
Gastropoda
Order
Cyperales
Geraniales
Family
Poaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Nassella
Catharanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1168
1
27800
👆🏻