Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Periwinkle, Vinca Vine

Group/Class:  Tattoo Series

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

Well branched, and very floriferous plants present stunning cherry red blooms with petals that are brushed in dark purple; blooms all summer; heat and drought tolerant; great for garden beds and patio containers; best color in warm, bright conditions

Ornamental Features

Tattoo™ Black Cherry Vinca features showy cherry red star-shaped flowers with deep purple eyes and deep purple streaks at the ends of the stems from late spring to early fall. Its glossy oval leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Tattoo™ Black Cherry Vinca is a dense herbaceous annual with a mounded form. 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.

Tattoo™ Black Cherry Vinca is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Tattoo™ Black Cherry Vinca will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 6 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

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.

Tattoo™ Black Cherry Vinca is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.