Days to Maturity: 65 to 75 direct sow; 40 to 45 transplant
All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2019
Mega Bloom® Polka Dot Vinca is a tender perennial (Zones 10 to 11), typically grown as an annual, offering early summer through fall interest, generally blooming until first frost. Putting on a continuous, showy display, Mega Bloom Polka Dot Vinca produces an abundance of huge 2½- to 3-inch pinwheel-shaped blooms with overlapping snowy white petals and a pink eye. Borne singly or in pairs on short stalks, the phlox-like flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators to the garden.
A Catharanthus roseus cultivar, commonly called periwinkle, Mega Bloom Polka Dot Vinca has a compact, upright, mounded habit of glossy, dark green foliage and a vigorous growth rate. The plants are highly uniform and remain neat and tidy with healthy foliage all season. They are often used as ground cover or edging in beds and borders, but they also make wonderful potted plants.
A favorite of southern gardeners, periwinkle grows best in a full sun to dappled shade location with moist, well-drained soil, but it adapts to a wide range of soils, including dry soil, and conditions, including heat and humidity. However, periwinkle does not tolerate overwatering. The plant is deer, rabbit, and pest resistant. Mega Bloom Polka Dot Vinca was bred to have exceptional tolerance to heat, rain, and phytophthora.
Direct sow vinca seed after the last frost in spring, as soon as the soil is warm, or start seeds indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost date and transplant after all threat of frost has passed and temperatures are consistently above 65°F. Seeds germinate best with soil temperatures over 75°F.
Vinca seeds can also be started indoors and planted outdoors after the risk of frost has passed. If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.
