Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Africa, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Madagascar
Madagascar
Types
-
Purple vinca, Vinca, cherry red, strawberry color
Number of Varieties
-30
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland, Sandy areas
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 8, 9, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1.97 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm2.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Burgundy, Pink, Rose
Magenta, Pink, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Light Pink, Tan, White
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple, Gray Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Fall, Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs less watering
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
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Botrytis Blight, Canker, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Shade areas
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Intestinal gas, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bog Garden, Ground Cover
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
-
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Edging, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging
Botanical Name
MELINIS nerviglumis
Catharanthus roseus
Common Name
Ruby Grass, Zizka
Madagascar periwinkle or rosy periwinkle
In Hindi
Zizka
Periwinkle
In German
Zizka
Immergrün
In French
Zizka
Pervenche
In Spanish
Zizka
Bígaro
In Greek
Zizka
μυρτιά
In Portuguese
Zizka
Mirta
In Polish
Zizka
Barwinek
In Latin
Žižka
Periwinkle
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Mollusca
Class
Magnoliopsida
Gastropoda
Order
Poales
Geraniales
Family
Poaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Melinis
Catharanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
228
1
27800
👆🏻