Vinca vine is actually a cousin of summer flowering Catharanthus plants, commonly known as Madagascar periwinkle. Strangely enough, Vinca major and Vinca minor -- members of the dogbane (Apocynaeae) family.
Asia Minor and northern Africa -- was first introduced to American green thumbs in the late 1700s. The first vinca vine hybrids appeared in the 1920s; the Sakata Seed Corporation of Japan was among the first to offer new varieties, a practice that continues well into modern times
In Catholicism, periwinkles including the Vinca major and Vinca minor are known as the “Virgin Flower” and are often associated with the Virgin Mary. Mary is traditionally depicted wearing garments that resemble the blue color of the vinca vine's buds.
The main usage of vinca vine outside of the garden presents a great irony; though the plant is poisonous if ingested, it also serves as a great asset to the pharmaceutical industry, lending itself to many blood pressure and hemorrhaging medications. Since the 1950s, the medical industry has used alkaloids from the vinca vine in chemotherapy cancer treatments. On a more humble note, the vinca vine also lends itself to basket making.
Vinca plant that lives for three or more years.
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