Perennial herb or half-shrub, often cultivated as an annual.

The plant is about 30-60 centimeters tall, erect, much branched in the upper part, and woody at the base.

Leaves to short-tailed, membranous, obovate-square.

Dark green glossy, veins with obvious white, cymes terminal or axillary, with 2-3 flowers, corolla deep rose-red or white, some with red heart, flower diameter 2.5-3 cm.

Flowering period August to frost, the seeds are easy to crack and fall off when ripe.

2. Growth habit: native to tropical eastern Africa, cold intolerance, like warm, not strict requirements for soil, but saline soil is not suitable for cultivation, to moist and fertile sandy loam growth of the best.

Like sunshine but also should not be exposed to strong light, in the hot summer should be watered diligently, keep the pot moist, do not want to dry heat, at this time, if you can give a little shade to promote the flowering of luxuriant.

Flowering period of June-October, greenhouse potted plants can have flowers in all seasons.

3. Propagation methods: sowing or cuttings, early April open ground bed, or in advance in January-February greenhouse pots, germination temperature of about 20 ℃, after germination after a subplanting, to the Ji leaf 4-5 can be on the small pots, and then with the growth of the seedlings and then set of replacement of the corresponding large pots, open ground cultivation, after planting to the seedlings after the subplanting height of 15-20 cm when the planting of the beds.

Periwinkle in the growth period can also be cuttings, but cuttings are always less robust than seedling, used less.

4. Cultivation and management: periwinkle seedlings should be made during the 2-3 times of centering, in order to promote more branches, plant dwarfing and crown dense and neat.

The main root of the periwinkle is developed, less fibrous roots, it is advisable to transplant the complete ball of soil in order to easily recover, it is best to first potted plants then planted in the ground.

Growing period should pay attention to irrigation, do not make drought.

Flower beds should be planted at any time to remove the residual flowers, to maintain a beautiful and tidy.

Seeds should be picked in time or the seeds are ripe and easy to scatter.

The two-year-old old trees because of the weakness, flowers become smaller, more than not continue to cultivate.