Catharanthus roseus Hot Pink - Madagascar periwinkle, rose periwinkle

Madagascar periwinkle Catharanthus roseus Soirée™ ‘Hot Pink’, is a low-growing, carpeting variety that stands out for its vividly coloured and long-lasting flowering. Its numerous warm pink flowers, with a slightly darker centre, follow one another all summer long and until the first frosts. Happy in sun and heat, it is equally suitable for pots on a balcony or for flower bed borders.

This cultivar is part of the Soirée™ series, a collection of compact Catharanthus roseus developed by MNP / Suntory and distributed in Europe from 2024. Selected for its naturally low habit, its branched growth and its ability to flower early and for a long time, Soirée™ ‘Hot Pink’ is produced from cuttings. It forms a tight, low cushion approximately 15 cm in height and 25 to 30 cm in spread, well-suited to small pots 9 to 15 cm in diameter as well as the front of flower beds. Its fine, flexible stems bear narrow, ovate to lanceolate, dark green, finely veined and slightly glossy leaves. The flowers are a little larger than those of some other varieties in the series, reaching 4 cm in diameter. They have five rounded, very slightly overlapping, warm, bright pink lobes with a small, discreet carmine centre. They follow one another from May until October. Like all Madagascar periwinkles, it is a tender perennial, grown as an annual in temperate climates: below –3 to –5 °C, the foliage and stems are severely damaged, but the plants can be kept in pots, by overwintering them frost-free, in a conservatory or a bright room.

Plant Madagascar periwinkle Soirée™ ‘Hot Pink’ in sun or light partial shade, in a well-drained, light soil that remains moist, but without excess water. In planters or pots, it combines well with other annuals such as Nemesia 'Fairy Kisses Boysenberry', Hypoestes 'Hippo Pink' and Euphorbia Shades in Pink®. In open ground, position it at the border of a flower bed, in front of taller perennials. It can also be combined with other colours from the same series, such as Soirée™ White or Soirée™ Pink White Eye, to create very floriferous carpets all summer long.

Catharanthus roseus, or Madagascar periwinkle, belongs to the Apocynaceae family. Native to the dry coastal areas of Madagascar, it grows spontaneously on dunes, sandy or stony soils and banks in tropical climates, and has since naturalised in many warm regions of the world. The species was formerly classified under the name Vinca rosea or Lochnera rosea. A perennial in its native range, it is grown as an annual in our latitudes due to its sensitivity to frost.
All parts of the plant contain powerful alkaloids, toxic if ingested.

Note: Please be aware, plug plants are products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, pot them on and store them under cover (conservatory, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C for a few weeks before being placed outdoors once all risk of frost has passed.