Vinca is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant commonly known as the Madagascar periwinkle or Rosy Periwinkle. It is a species of Catharanthus native and endemic to Madagascar.

Scientific Name: Catharanthus roseus (the word Catharanthus derives from the Greek language meaning “pure flower”)
Common Name: Vinca, Madagascar periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle, Cape Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, and “Old-Maid”. In India the plant is known as sadaphuli meaning “always flowering”.

Medicinal Uses:
Vinca has long been cultivated for herbal medicine. In Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine) the extracts of its roots and shoots, though poisonous, is used against several diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used against numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Vinca is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from spring to late autumn, in warm temperate climates. Flowers come in a wide variety of colors such as red, dark red, white, pink, light pink, and purple.