Catharanthus roseus

Old Maid, Cayenne Jasmine, Rose Periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle, Vinca, Rosy periwinkle

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Give up all personal seeking for comfort, satisfaction, enjoyment or happiness. Be only a burning fire for progress, take whatever comes to you as an aid to your progress and immediately make whatever progress is required.

The Mother, On Education: Psychic Education and Spiritual Education

Above all, it is the will for progress and self-purification which lights the fire. The will for progress. Those who have a strong will, when they turn it towards spiritual progress and purification, automatically light the fire within themselves.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1956: 8 August 1956

The thirst for progress, the thirst to know, the thirst to transform yourself, and above all the thirst for Love and Truth—if you can keep that, then you go faster. Really a thirst, a need, you know, a need… All the rest doesn't matter, what you need is THAT.

The Mother, Mother's Agenda: October 7, 1964

No more bonds—free, free, free, free! Always ready to change everything, except ONE thing: to aspire. That thirst… The "something" we need, the Perfection we need, the Light we need, the Love we need, the Truth we need, the supreme Perfection we need—and that's all. The formulas… the fewer the formulas, the better. A need, a need, a need… that THE Thing alone can satisfy, nothing else, no half measure. That alone. And then, move on! Move on! Your path will be your path, it doesn't matter; any path, any path whatever, even the follies of today's American youth can be a path, it doesn't matter.

The Mother, Mother's Agenda: October 7, 1964

Varieties

Message of the Flower

Progress

The Mother’s Comment

This is why we are on earth.

Colour

White and shades of pink and red

Message of the Flower

Vital Progress

The Mother’s Comment

Organisation around the Divine Will and progressive surrender to that Will.

Colour

Light pink violet

Message of the Flower

Integral Progress in the Vital

The Mother’s Comment

The vital consents to be purified.

Colour

White, violet

Message of the Flower

Constant Progress in Matter

The Mother’s Comment

The result of an ardent aspiration.

Colour

Light pink, red

Message of the Flower

Integral Progress in Matter

The Mother’s Comment

Matter awakens to consciousness.

Colour

White, red

Message of the Flower

Integral Progress

The Mother’s Comment

Can only be satisfied by integrality. The best way to go fast.

Colour

White

Message of the Flower

Uninterrupted but Spasmodic Progress

The Mother’s Comment

Now here, now there, apparently very impulsive.

Colour

Light pink violet, white

Family

Apocynaceae

Cultivars

Numerous, including 'Alba', 'Grape Cooler', 'Pacifica Punch', and 'Sunstorm'.

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

About 1-2 inches in diameter.

Flower Texture

Smooth and slightly glossy.

Number of Petals

Five

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Little to no fragrance.

Leaf Texture

Glossy

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Dark Green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennial shrub.

Life Cycle

Perennial in tropical climates; often grown as an annual in temperate zones.

Blooming Period

Blooms throughout the year in the tropics; summer to frost in temperate zones.

Climate

Prefers tropical to subtropical climates but can be grown in temperate climates during warm months.

Water Requirements

Moderate, drought-tolerant once established.

Soil Type

Well-drained, loamy or sandy soils.

Temperature Ranges

Thrives in temperatures above 60F (15C); not frost-tolerant.

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade.

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to aphids, spider mites, and fungal diseases like root rot in poorly drained soils.

Pollinators

Attracts butterflies and bees

Habitat

Native to Madagascar; widely cultivated and naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides nectar for pollinators; used in traditional medicine.

Ornamental

Widely grown in gardens for its colorful flowers and glossy foliage.

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Primarily ornamental and medicinal.

Endangered Status

Not endangered; widely cultivated.