Botanical Name: Vinca minor
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Common Name: Dwarf Vinca or Periwinkle  
Plant photo of: Vinca minor
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Broadleaf Evergreen, Ground cover

 

Height Range

Under 1'

 

Flower Color

Blue, Lavender, Purple, White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Half, Shade

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

Invasive

Design Styles

Formal, Japanese, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring

 

Location Uses

Entry, Shrub Border, Parking Strip, Walkways, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Cascade, Erosion Control, Filler, Mass Planting, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Linda Engstrom

  • Description

  • Notes

Periwinkle is a hardy, evergreen groundcover with glossy green leaves and cheery periwinkle blue or purple flowers in the spring. This plant is best suited to large areas and shrub borders, as it would overwhelm most perennials. Avoid its use along the riparian corridor or in urban/open space interfaces as it is aggressive and can escape, overtaking native plants. Easier to control in dry shade areas. Grows about 6 to 8 inches high, and spacing for planting purposes is about 2 to 3 feet, but its spread is indefinite.
Most suitable in shrub borders as it can be an aggressive groundcover. Avoid use along riparian corridors or in urban/open space interfaces as it can escape and overwhelm native plants. Does well in dry shade.