Do you know the plant Catharanthus roseus? You may have seen this herbaceous plant and it has surprised you with the intense color of its flowers, but it may also be that you did not even realize that it was this species of plant that is well known, in addition to its ornamental nature. , for its different types of uses and for not requiring a large amount of care when growing.
It is a plant widely used in medicine due to its properties and having one in your home would mean giving life to a species that is always usually in danger. In this article we will show you its characteristics, its care and why its cultivation in the gardens of our homes is so important.
Features Catharanthus roseus
Our Catharanthus roseus they are herbaceous plants evergreen with constant bloomwhich can reach a maximum height of one meter and is often found in the world of botany with different synonyms.
Among these are lochnera rosea y Pink vincabeing also a very characteristic name that of Vinca from Madagascarand this is because this African place is the only one in the world where this type of plant is endemic.
The shape of its leaves can be shown both oblong and oval, and they can reach a length of 9 centimeters in their largest specimenswith a width that will not exceed 4 centimeters.
These show a smooth texture throughout their surface, without any type of porosity and where the nerves of a lighter green color are marked and a petiole that will not exceed two centimeters in length.
Regarding your flowers, these are formed by about five petalswhich find a basal union in the tube that is formed and can have the same diameter as that of its corolla, which is approximately five centimeters in diameter.
A calyx with five sepals not exceeding a centimeter in lengthwill end in a pink corolla that is usually much clearer in those specimens that we will find in open places and that have grown wild, finding in the ornamental varieties much more marked colorful flowers, and even different combinations of tones that give it a special ornamental beauty.
Two follicles between two and four centimeters long and a few millimeters wide are its fruits, which have as a special characteristic the dehiscence that It is produced by a suture that is located on the inside.
The vilano shown by its seeds is in charge of making them disperse homogeneously in the soils, to continue its development in the wildAlthough it does not usually thrive in large numbers almost anywhere, Madagascar being a major exception.
In other parts of the world, their lack of development has to do with certain natural and caused accidents in the habitats where they are found. It is believed that the original origin of this plant is in the African country of Madagascarwhere today it is usually found endemically, this being the only place where it develops in this way.
But wild specimens of this are also known in a large number of countries both tropical and subtropical, among which are Asia, Africa and South Americaas well as in Australia, where its use in a decorative way is very common.
There are also other countries that are within the tropical strip where plantations of this are made. Such are the cases of Cuba, El Salvador, Yucatan and Israelalthough it is also usually found that it is a very abundant specimen throughout the lower part of India and Sri Lanka.
Its medicinal and ornamental uses are what have made this plant overcome all continental barriers and reach all those places where a warm climate can welcome it.
Why is cultivation important?
Some features that we have already mentioned and others that we will delve into below, are what make this plant one of those that you should take into account to have a your garden. There are many benefits and the advantages that its cultivation will bring to your life and the environment:
They don’t require as much care
One of the characteristics that makes the Catharanthus roseus in one of the useful plants for your home, is that will mean incredible ornamental beauty and you will be able to enjoy its benefits without its cultivation being too heavy. On the contrary, it does not require great care.
These will not lose their ornamental beauty even if they are found in dry environments, demonstrating its great resistance and can also develop exposed to full sun without any problems and that is why it is usually used to a greater extent as a plant that adorns exteriors.
BY cultivating it, you will see how it begins to grow in a good way without any type of addition. This means that no type of fertilizers are needed for it to look well developed. They have a special tolerance to both low and high temperatures and can be planted both in hot areas and in those where the heat is usually oppressive.
Medical uses
That the Catharanthus roseus is a plant that has certain healing properties is not a discovery of science in recent years, but quite the opposite. Its use dates back to the times of ancient millenary settlements.
But that does not mean that at present this plant is still used in different types of preparations and continues to provide very beneficial medicinal properties. Among the compounds contained in this type of plant are vincristine and vinblastinewhich are two alkaloids to which essential properties are attributed to the fight against certain cancers.
This is why it is currently It is used in patients undergoing treatment for leukemia. Another component for which it is widely used is reserpine, which has its uses in certain treatments against arterial pressure, as well as to treat certain conditions related to mental health, more precisely in people who show certain psychosis.
In what has to do with its most ancient uses, this plant was used in the world of ancient medicine as a palliative for diseases such as diabetes and malaria, among several others.
Although there are many other medicinal uses that are usually given, it is the doctors themselves who usually moderate and even do not indicate them for certain minor inconveniences, and this has to do with home remedies with too much of this content used to be used and it used to cause all kinds of hallucinations in the people who consumed them.
An ornamental and medicinal plant, which would grow without problems in your tropical garden. All are benefits with the Catharanthus roseuswhich can become the next species to color your open spaces.
