Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle) in Zone 11a & 11b

Catharanthus roseus

When to plant vinca (madagascar periwinkle) in zone 11b

Zones 11a and 11b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle) needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.

Start indoors	Oct 23–Oct 30
Direct sow / transplant outside	Jan 15–Jan 22
Estimated bloom	Apr 5–Apr 12 (~80 days after transplanting)

Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1-1.5 ft.

Vinca (Madagascar periwinkle, botanically Catharanthus roseus) is built for heat that stops other flowers cold. Growing In The Garden describes it as synonymous with hot weather in the low desert, blooming through Phoenix summers with little fuss once it's established, a low, 12- to 18-inch mound of flat, five-petaled pink, white, or red flowers, often with a contrasting eye at the center.

How vinca (madagascar periwinkle) fits zone 11's season

Zone 11b is frost-free in this dataset, so frost is not what limits the calendar here. What you can plant, and when, comes down to summer heat and daylength instead.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle).

Where to buy vinca seeds

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