Periwinkle

Sun

Partial shade is ideal; tolerates full shade and full sun where the soil stays moist. Give it afternoon shade in hot climates.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established plants tolerate some dry shade, but need water during prolonged drought, especially in sun.

Soil

Well-drained soil with moderate fertility; tolerates clay, loam and sandy soils, and a broad pH range. Avoid persistently wet ground.

Height

0.3-0.5 ft (0.1-0.15 m)

Spread

2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m) initially; spreads indefinitely where stems can root.

Flowers

Violet-blue, five-lobed flowers in spring, with occasional flowers into summer; some cultivars have white or purple flowers.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, opposite, oval, leathery leaves, usually glossy dark green; variegated cultivars are available. Leaves may bronze or suffer scorch in exposed winter conditions.

Growth

Moderate to fast once established, especially in moist soil.

Care needed

Medium

• Water new plants when the surface soil starts to dry during their first growing season.
• Apply a thin layer of leaf mould or compost between plants, keeping it away from the crowns.
• Skip routine feeding; use a light spring feed only if growth is weak and soil fertility is poor.
• Lift stems that cross bed edges before they root, and dig out rooted escapes.
• Divide congested patches in spring or autumn, replanting only where spread can be contained.

Pruning. After the main spring flowering, shear untidy patches lightly to encourage fresh growth. Remove dead stems and cut back escaping runners throughout the growing season, lifting any rooted sections as well.

Late winter

Remove winter-damaged foliage and check whether runners have rooted outside the bed.

Spring

Plant or divide in workable soil, then water thoroughly.

Late spring

After flowering, lightly shear uneven growth and remove unwanted runners.

Summer

Water during prolonged drought and check dense patches for stem dieback.

Autumn

Plant or divide in mild regions, allowing time for roots to establish before freezing weather.

Late autumn

Clear thick, wet leaf accumulations from the foliage and remove escapes before they become established.

• Carpet contained beds beneath established deciduous shrubs, providing evergreen cover between woody stems.
• Underplant spring bulbs so their flowers rise above the foliage and fading bulb leaves become less conspicuous.
• Edge shaded paths with a low green mat, trimming runners regularly to keep the path clear.
• Combine with ferns and hellebores in enclosed shade beds for contrasting leaf shapes and spring flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Traditional, English country, Cottage garden, Green on green and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Hellebores, Daffodils, Snowdrops, Epimediums, Male ferns and Solomon's seal.

Wildlife: Flowers provide some nectar and pollen for visiting insects, but dense escaped carpets can suppress native woodland plants. It is not a substitute for locally native groundcover near natural habitats.

• Unwanted spread: trailing stems root at their nodes. Cut back runners, lift all rooted sections and check repeatedly for regrowth; do not dump trimmings in natural areas.
• Stem blight: shoots blacken, wilt and die, particularly in damp, crowded patches. Remove affected growth, improve airflow and avoid overhead watering.
• Root rot: plants decline in waterlogged soil. Improve drainage or move healthy material to a better-drained site; discard rotted plants.
• Leaf scorch: exposed sun, drought or cold winds can brown foliage. Water during dry spells and provide afternoon shade or shelter.

All parts contain toxic alkaloids and should not be eaten by people, cats, dogs or horses. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and other illness; substantial amounts may cause serious poisoning. Keep clippings away from grazing animals and seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion.

Where it spreads. Spreads aggressively by rooting stems and can suppress woodland ground flora. It is listed as invasive in parts of the eastern and midwestern United States and the Pacific Northwest, and is an invasive concern in southern Ontario and parts of British Columbia, Canada. It also escapes gardens in the United Kingdom.

• Greater periwinkle (Vinca major)

  Has larger, broader leaves and larger flowers, with fine hairs along the leaf margins; Vinca minor has smaller leaves with hairless margins.

• Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)

  Usually forms an upright, frost-tender bedding plant rather than a creeping, rooting carpet; flowers commonly come in pink, red or white as well as other colours.

• Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata)

  Has narrow, needle-like leaves and dense spring flower clusters, unlike periwinkle's broad, glossy leaves and more widely spaced flowers.

The Latin species name minor means 'smaller', distinguishing it from the larger-leaved greater periwinkle, Vinca major.

Propagation. Divide rooted patches in spring or autumn, or detach rooted runners and pot them up. Non-flowering stem cuttings also root readily. Keep all propagation material contained and dispose of unwanted pieces so they cannot root elsewhere.

Accepted botanical name

Vinca minor

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Krym and Netherlands.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 7.7. Average height 21 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.