Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus_roseus by Joy Deep
Photo by Joy Deep

Common names: Madagascar periwinkle

Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) is a herb/ (family Apocynaceae) with pink flowers and oval shaped leaves found in the south coast and desert ranges of California. It is native to Madagascar. It favors dunes, grasslands, and scrub and chaparral habitat. It spreads via seeds and is easily cultivated. Seeds are dispersed by ants, water, wind and dumped garden waste.

Cal-IPC Rating: Watch

Cal-IPC Assessment

Plant Risk Assessment - An evaluation of the potential for a plant to be invasive in California.

Weed Management Notes

No Weed RIC Management Notes are available for this species. Check for information on other species in the genus on the Weed RIC site.

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

There are no newsletter articles associated with this species yet.

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

There are no Symposium presentations associated with this species yet.

Other Catharanthus roseus Information

  • CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
  • Calflora - See the distribution of this species on Calflora's map of California.
  • CalWeedMapper - Distribution information with ability to determine regional priorities.
  • Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
  • USDA PLANTS Database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
  • EDDMapS - North American distribution based on Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System.