Catharanthus roseus Pink White Eye - Madagascar periwinkle, rose periwinkle

Catharanthus roseus Soirée™ Pink White Eye is an adorable Madagascar periwinkle with miniature soft pink flowers with a white eye. This new variety from the Soirée™ series is particularly compact and well-branched, flowering from May until the first frosts. Generous in beds as well as in pots, this sun-loving plant loves warmth, is content with well-drained soil and requires little water. An excellent summer annual for balconies, terraces and seasonal borders.

Belonging to the Apocynaceae family, Catharanthus roseus is the botanical species from which this cultivar originates. It is better known by its common name, Madagascar periwinkle. Native to the dry coastal areas of Madagascar, it has become widely naturalised in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Botanically, it is a perennial, but it cannot tolerate our winters.

The Soirée™ series comprises cultivars selected for their very strong branching, cushion-like habit and small flowers produced in abundance. They are perfectly suited to hot summers. The Soirée™ Pink White Eye cultivar, introduced in 2024 by MNP / Suntory, is distinguished by its pink flowers, marked with a large white eye centred on a small yellow heart. Its habit is also particularly compact: approximately 15 cm in height with a 30 to 40 cm spread. Its small, ovate to oblong leaves are dark green and glossy, marked with a pale midrib. 
In Soirée™ Pink White Eye, the flowers have a long, slender tube ending in five spreading lobes forming a corolla 3 to 4 cm in diameter. The petals, in a gradient of pink, overlap slightly and are almost round. The flowering renews itself continuously from May until the first frosts, especially if faded flowers are regularly removed.
The species Catharanthus roseus and its varieties contain toxic alkaloids, from which the anticancer drugs vinblastine and vincristine used in chemotherapy are derived.

On a sunny terrace, plant a few clumps of Catharanthus roseus Soirée™ Pink White Eye at the edge of a large container; you can let it trail around a Gallery Art Deco dwarf dahlia and a Morning Glory Illusion Midnight Lace with black foliage, for example. In the garden, you can place it between clumps of Bidens Bee White and very bright pink Gomphrena Qis Carmine. On a south-facing balcony, tuck a few young plants into a planter around a Gaura ‘Siskiyou Pink’. Water regularly but not excessively, add a little fertiliser for flowering plants and enjoy a colourful display from early summer until the first frosts.

Note: Please be aware, plug plants are products intended 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 planting them outdoors once all risk of frost has passed.