Is there a wild Vinca?

Periwinkle has escaped cultivation and is invading natural areas throughout the eastern U.S. It inhabits open to shady sites including forests and often escapes from old homesites.

Where are vincas native to?

Vinca minor is a native from southern Switzerland southward around much of the Mediterranean basin, from Portugal to Turkey, and across much of north Africa. It has been introduced in the United States as a medicinal herb and as an ornamental ground cover.

Is vinca an invasive species?

Vinca minor, also known as just vinca or periwinkle, is a fast growing, easy groundcover. It's appealing to gardeners and homeowners needing to cover areas of the yard as an alternative to grass. This creeping plant can be invasive though, choking out native plants.

Is vinca a wildflower?

Wildflowers of the United States

Vinca minor - Small Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle, Dwarf Periwinkle, Lesser Periwinkle, Creeping Myrtle. This plant, introduced from central and southern Europe, can be weedy or invasive.

Is Vinca major native?

Big periwinkle (Vinca major) is a perennial ground cover native to Europe and Africa.

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What is the difference between Vinca minor and Vinca major?

The main difference between Vinca major and Vinca minor is that the leaves of V. major are slightly broader, larger, ovate, or heart shaped, while those of V. minor are small, elongated, lance-shaped. This can help identify the species.

How invasive is Vinca major?

Vinca major, commonly known as bigleaf periwinkle, may have lovely purplish-blue flowers, but the invasive vine can quickly take over habitat of native plant communities. This hardy plant needs little water or sun and forms dense mats of vegetation, smothering the diversity of plants in its path.

Do periwinkles grow wild?

March to May. Perennial. Fairly frequent and widespread in Britain. Occasional as a wild plant in Leicestershire and Rutland.

What does Lesser periwinkle look like?

They are hairless, ovate, blunt-tipped, and smooth along the margins. Their upper surface is dark green and shiny, and their texture is rather leathery. The slender petioles are shorter than the blades of the leaves.

What does periwinkle look like?

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is an excellent evergreen groundcover with dark green foliage. Oblong to ovate leaves are opposite, simple, ½ to 2 inches long, glossy, with a short petiole. They exude a milky juice when broken. Flowers are purple, blue or white depending on the cultivar.

Why is periwinkle called flower of death?

Periwinkle, an evergreen trailing groundcover, is a common invader throughout most of the United States. It is native to Europe, where it was commonly known in folklore as the “flower of death” because its vines were woven into headbands worn by dead children or criminals on their way to execution.

How do you stop Vinca from spreading?

Cut periwinkle plants with pruning shears in late spring or early fall when temperatures are between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a weed whip for large patches. Spray the cut stems with a ready-to-use, 5-percent glyphosate weedkiller.

How do you identify a Vinca?

Vinca minor is a vine-like erect or trailing groundcover; mostly evergreen; stems slender. Foliage. Leaves are opposite, dark green, glossy, oval to lance-shaped, thick-textured; may be variegated.

How many species of vinca are there?

There are two main species grown: Vinca major and V. minor. Perennial vinca varieties have pinwheel-shaped springtime flowers in shades of lavender, purple, and white.

Is vinca native to North America?

Lesser periwinkle is native to Europe and western Asia, and widely introduced around the world. It is also widepread in North America, and is quite invasive in some areas including parts of New England. It is often grown as an ornamental ground cover due to its ability to form dense colonies.

Is vinca the same as Myrtle?

Dear N.S.: Myrtle is a common name for Vinca minor, a hardy mostly evergreen trailing woody plant that is used as a groundcover. It is native to Europe. It has small pale violet blue flowers in the spring. Another common name, lesser periwinkle, is the source of the name of the color periwinkle blue, like the flowers.

What's the difference between periwinkle and lavender?

What Is The Difference Between Periwinkle And Lavender? The biggest difference between periwinkle and lavender is that this one has much less blue than periwinkle. You could describe lit as purple but you can describe periwinkle as both purple and blue.

What is a trailing vinca?

The trailing variety of vinca is a small perennial (in warm locations) with a woody base. It produces a mound of woody stems and glossy green foliage, reaching a height of about 6” inches to 18” inches. It's a low maintenance trailing plant spreading easily, making to a common choice for groundcover in a garden bed.

Where are periwinkle flowers native to?

Vinca minor is native to Europe, and was first introduced to North America in the 1700s as an ornamental plant. It is now commonly sold as a bedding plant, however, it is emerging as an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest.

Why is Vinca minor invasive?

The State of Indiana says: “Once established, Vinca minor forms a dense carpet to the exclusion of other plants. This creates a problem where it is competing with native flora.” Moving west, a California source says it “tends to become invasive in hot Mediterranean climates.”

Where is periwinkle plant found?

Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant.

Where did the Vinca major come from?

Periwinkle (Vinca major), also known as bigleaf periwinkle, greater periwinkle, or large periwinkle, is a spreading, perennial vine with blue-purple flowers, originally from southern Europe and northern Africa.

Will Vinca major choke out other plants?

Vinca minor, in most cases, will not choke out other plants growing in the area. They just fill in around them. Vinca major, being more aggressive, can take over other plants in your flower bed.

Is periwinkle ground cover invasive?

Periwinkle, also known as Vinca or creeping myrtle, is one of the easiest to grow groundcovers or trailing plants. However, its tendency to root at the internodes where stems touch the ground can make it an invasive competitor to other plants.