Plant I.D. (Oh goodie!)

Taxodium · Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 94 Location: ,

Everytime I ask someone what this is, I get a different answer so it's time to really find out.

I found 1 single stem in the woods, I scooped it up and forgot about it for a week. It started to look dead so I planted it anyway where this picture was taken. 3 months later this is what I have. It's very attractive.

But usually I have the best success with things that turn out to be invasive weeds so I'd like to find out once and for all what the deal is with this.

Thanks for your help.

saccharum · Joined: 31 Jul 2004 Posts: 118 Location: Ocala, FL

Catharanthus roseus, Madagascar periwinkle.

Nice plant, though exotic and it does self-seed somewhat. I'm not aware of it being a strongly invasive species. I decided to let the ones in my flowerbeds live.

Edit: upon further research, some sources do say this is a Florida "do not plant" species. Jeez, Todd, you can't catch a break! :cry:

Taxodium · Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 94 Location: ,

&^%$#@! That figures!

Well here's some other interesting facts.

1.) It's poisonous, don't make a salad out of this one
2.) You can smoke the leaves as it has narcotic effects but then you might be poisoned.
3.) According to Floridata, the "extracts have been shown to be effective in the treatment of various kinds of leukemia, skin cancer, lymph cancer, breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease." Just don't smoke it or you'll be back to square one.

A very popular plant in the south apparently and people like it too according to the plants database. Someone even trained it to grow as a small tree. It didn't look like a wildflower so I had a funny feeling about it when the thing thrived in the heat and dryspell which made me think it probably came from abroad.