Japanese name: ニチニチソウ（日日草） Scientific name:Catharanthus roseus
[Overview]
A somewhat succulent subshrub 30–50 cm tall, but it is treated as an annual.
The leaves are simple and opposite, elliptic to oblong.
The leaves are glossy with entire margins.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils, salverform and 5-lobed.
White or crimson flowers bloom one after another.
The fruit is a cylindrical follicle.
Garden cultivars include dwarf and creeping types.
[Uses]
Although poisonous, it is used as a folk medicine in various tropical regions.
[Cultivation]
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
With insufficient sunlight it becomes leggy and falls over easily.
It dislikes excess moisture, so water when the soil surface dries.
During the growing season, give liquid fertilizer or chemical fertilizer once a week.
It can overwinter if kept at 10°C or above.
Pests and diseases include damping-off and aphids.
