Subject: Catharansus roseus (common Madagascar periwinkle)

From: [email-masked](David Webber)
Date: 25 Jun 1996 04:40:03 GMT

All you professionals please forgive a weekend gardener for 
posting here ... but the normal garden groups seem to have 
nothing constructive to offer (tell me if there's a better place 
to post pleas like this one). 
  The southern parts of the US (I'm in the Dallas area) have a 
severe problem with periwinkle dying out, and we hate it because 
it's a really lovely plant. Nursery folks say it's a fungus which 
resides in the soil and attacks the stems, and there's no cure 
except to sterilize the soil (impractical if not impossible). 
  I'm looking for a practical way to eradicate the fungus (other 
than extreme heat or chemicals), or an alternative plant with 
similar growth and flowering habits, but better resistance to 
this southern blight. 
  If you need more information to reply, please post or email. 
Any help would be appreciated. 
David (lover of snow-white petals)