the undiscovered, the potentially revolutionary plant….and then, you find it! That’s just what happened to Glenn Goldsmith, founder of the world-renowned breeding company, Goldsmith Seeds.
Two decades ago, Goldsmith made a collecting expedition. He came back with vinca genetics that were resistant to Aerial Phytophthora. Knowing that gardeners loved vinca, but struggled often with its performance in challenging weather, his goal was to significantly improve the performance and durability of this garden favorite. Over the years, Glenn and the Goldsmith breeder team worked tirelessly on perfecting the genetics to create a vinca both beautiful and disease-resistant and, finally, Cora® was born!
In the garden, Cora® vinca will produce huge, show-stopping flowers on glossy green foliage and these blooms will last and last. And, because Cora is a real heat-lover, it will be spectacular throughout the summer when many other annuals experience a reduction in flower size and quantity.
And now there is a trailing version - Cora® Cascade™ - that gives the same great heat-loving, disease-resistant performance in a form that is perfect for hanging baskets. With both Cora® and Cora® Cascade™, landscapers and gardeners can now look forward to a vinca that will thrive with strength and beauty all season long.
There is another side to vinca (or periwinkle) that is quite interesting and that is its potential healing properties. It is an important plant taxonomically and herbalists have been using some of the elements of this interesting species over the years for conditions as varied as headaches to diabetic wound healing. At one point in history, it was referred to as the “sorcerer’s violet” and still today researchers across the world are studying it for its anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetic properties. Who knows what the future might hold, but it is definitely a possibility that this garden gem will not only be more disease-resistant in your garden, but might one day lead to a break-through in our own disease-resistance. That is a dream for the future. Today, though, you can enjoy this beautiful plant and watch it thrive in your summer garden beds and hanging baskets. Ask for it by name - Cora® and Cora® Cascade™ Vinca!