How Do Periwinkles Reproduce?

Flowering

• Lesser periwinkle flowers in late spring -- May through June -- while Madagascar periwinkle flowers from June until frost, or sometimes all year. The flowers are similar in both species. Each bloom is bisexual, containing both male and female reproductive organs. The flowers have five petals, joined at the base to form a tube. The stamens -- the male reproductive parts -- and pistil -- the female reproductive parts -- emerge from the middle of the flower tube. Both periwinkles are pollinated by bees and some species of fly, which spread the sticky pollen from flower to flower.

Pollination

• After insects deposit grains of pollen on rounded top of the periwinkle flower's stigma, the pollen grain forms a pollen tube and the sperm contained in it descends to the ovary at the base of the flower. When the sperm reaches the two-celled ovary, it unites with ovules produced by the ovary and fertilization occurs. Shortly after this, the flower fades away and the ovaries swell into a two-celled seed capsule.

Seed Dispersal

• Once the seed capsules and the seeds within them have ripened, the capsules split open and the seeds are distributed. Generally each two-celled capsule produces between eight and 16 seeds. These can be eaten by birds or small animals and "planted" when they are excreted or they may sprout where they land when released by the plant. Madagascar periwinkle germinates best at temperatures between 75 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Lesser periwinkle needs a period of cold before the seeds germinate.

Other Reproduction Methods

• Lesser periwinkle also jump starts the reproductive cycle, reproducing by rooting at leaf node sites as the vining stems travel on the ground. This is most common in spring, although it can happen year-round. This is why it is considered invasive in some areas. Madagascar periwinkle can also be propagated from cuttings taken from the plant and rooted in a sterile medium. The rooted cuttings eventually reach flowering size, beginning the normal reproduction cycle.