Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | red |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | spreading |
| Mature height | 14 inches |
| Spread | 24 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
Cora® Red Vinca
Botanical name: Catharanthus roseus ‘Cora Red’
A heavy flowering, mounded series presenting beautiful bright and colorful flowers on dark green glossy foliage; long blooming, from summer to mid fall; heat and drought tolerant; great for patio containers, hanging baskets, borders and beds.
Other names: Periwinkle, Vinca Vine
Ornamental Features
Cora® Red Vinca features showy red star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to mid fall. Its glossy oval leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Cora® Red Vinca is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Cora® Red Vinca is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Container Planting, Hanging Baskets
Planting and Growing
Cora® Red Vinca will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Cora® Red Vinca is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
