Catharanthus roseus Volcano Mix F1 seeds - Madagascar periwinkle

The Madagascar Periwinkle Volcano F1 Mix is a blend of dwarf Catharanthus roseus, a professional selection boasting large, satiny flowers and exceptional floribundity. It brings together several colours from the Volcano F1 series, such as Burgundy, Red, Apricot, White, Polka with a pink eye, Lavender, Orchid… Compact and undemanding when it comes to water, this plant, grown as an annual, excels in sun-drenched borders, colourful edging, pots and summer containers. Capable of flowering for several weeks despite heat and the occasional missed watering, it is a reliable choice for all gardeners.

The Madagascar Periwinkle belongs to the Apocynaceae family. The botanical species Catharanthus roseus is endemic to eastern and southern Madagascar, thriving in tropical areas from sea level up to around 1,500m. It is a herbaceous perennial or a small, frost-tender undershrub, grown as an annual in our gardens.
The Volcano F1 Mix is an F1 hybrid selected by the Czech house Černý Seed. It stands out for its excellent resistance to diseases, heat, brief drought and high summer humidity.
Each plant forms a compact, rounded clump, 25 to 30cm tall and about 20 to 30cm in diameter, with rapid growth: it takes 8 to 10 weeks between sowing and the first flowers. The stems are smooth and slightly woody at the base, and exude a white latex when damaged. The foliage consists of entire, oval to oblong, 2.5 to 9 cm long and 1 to 3.5 cm wide, glossy, green leaves with a pale midrib, arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers, which follow on almost without interruption from June to October, are funnel-shaped with five rounded, overlapping lobes; in the Volcano F1 series, they reach 5.5 to 6cm in diameter and feature a small, darker central eye. The mix combines shades of white with a pink centre, pale or deep pink, red, raspberry or mauve, very luminous against the dark foliage.

The Madagascar Periwinkle Volcano F1 Mix offers a profusion of flowers in exchange for very little attention. Sowing seed is a very economical way to obtain a large number of young plants at low cost and generously fill borders and beds. Just like Petunias and Surfinias, this annual is a summer garden staple. You can also pair it in troughs or containers with trailing Verbenas such as 'Superbena Royale Peachy Keen' or 'Endurascape Pink Fizz', cascading Calibrachoas, or a few clumps of dwarf Gauras, which will also bloom throughout summer.

Note: All parts of the plant contain toxic alkaloids, from which effective molecules have been derived for treating leukaemia.