What does creeping myrtle look like?

Creeping myrtle is a fast-spreading, 4- to 8-inch-tall, evergreen groundcover with shiny green leaves borne in pairs on long, arching stems. Star-like, 1-inch-wide blue flowers bloom for one month in spring.

Is creeping myrtle a good ground cover?

Creeping myrtle grows best in evenly moist, rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 6 to 8, although it will adapt to average soil. It prefers partial shade but will grow in full shade and makes a good ground cover beneath shade trees.

What is creeping myrtle good for?

They can be used along border areas and to fill in under landscape trees and in shrub beds. The creeping root system also makes this plant ideal for erosion control on disturbed hillsides and landscape areas. The two methods used to propagate creeping myrtles are division and rooted stem cuttings.

Does creeping myrtle bloom all summer?

Most years, crape myrtles start blooming between mid-May and early June. Flowering continues for 90-120 days depending on the variety.

Is creeping myrtle the same as periwinkle?

Vinca minor, more likely to be known as periwinkle, creeping myrtle or just myrtle is a commonly used trailing, mat-forming evergreen ground cover. This plant is not only grown for its attractive shiny foliage, but the common name perfectly describes the pretty bloom color.

? Vinca Minor Plant | Growing Vinca Minor - SGD 343 ?

What is the difference between creeping myrtle and Vinca?

Vinca, also known as creeping myrtle or periwinkle, is a popular ground cover for partial to full shade.

Is there a difference between myrtle and Vinca?

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.

Can you mow creeping myrtle?

➺ Once established, it is difficult to get rid of the creeping myrtle. The plant is extremely invasive, and it can smother everything in its path. So, the growth should be controlled promptly and properly. ➺ Hard pruning (or mowing) should be followed by an application of glyphosate-based herbicide on new growth.

Does creeping myrtle choke out other plants?

Once established, ground covers control soil erosion and form an attractive foliage blanket across your yard. These low-lying plants do not choke out other species, but they can hinder their growth with proper maintenance, especially during establishment.

How far apart should you plant creeping myrtle?

Creeping Myrtle Spacing

Plant 8 inches apart for smaller spaces and up to 18 inches for large areas.

Does creeping myrtle stay green in winter?

Myrtle, also called creeping myrtle and lesser periwinkle, tolerates a wide range of growing conditions, and it stays green and lush year-round.

Is creeping myrtle poisonous to dogs?

Also known as common periwinkle, creeping myrtle (Vinca minor) is a sprawling evergreen vine that is grown in the United States as a flowering ground cover. Not surprisingly for a member of the Dogbane family (Apocynaceae), creeping myrtle is toxic to dogs. Creeping myrtle is also poisonous to humans, cats and horses.

What is the plant myrtle look like?

Myrtus communis (true myrtle), of the family Myrtaceae, is a fragrant, evergreen shrub with small, glossy green leaves and white, star-shaped flowers with long stamens, and, after their blooming, purple-black berries. It is native to Mediterranean Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey.

Is myrtle an invasive plant?

Myrtle (Vinca spp.) is among the hardiest of evergreen ground covers, hardy to Zone 4 and growing as far north as Canada. It can be invasive in certain areas.

When can I plant creeping myrtle?

Planting Time

It's best to plant creeping myrtle in early spring, before its blooming season. That said, it is a hardy plant and tolerates planting through mid to late fall as well. It spreads quickly, with roots that develop at the nodes where they touch the soil.

How do you control creeping myrtles?

Spray the area where myrtle is growing with the glyphosate. Apply the glyphosate to the tops and bottoms of the myrtle leaves and vine. Monitor the vine for dieback over the next week. Apply more glyphosate to the myrtle as needed for control.

What is the best low maintenance ground cover?

What is the easiest ground cover to grow?

In addition to its fragrant spring blooms, lily-of-the-valley is one of the easiest groundcovers to grow. It's perfect in a shady spot off under a big tree in your backyard because it tolerates dry conditions well.

Where should I plant myrtle?

Common myrtle prefers locations with high exposure to sunlight. It likes rich, well-drained soil: that is where it flowers best. Adding soil conditioner when planting enhances settling in and root development. Water well during the first 2 years after planting.

How do I trim myrtle ground cover?

Small or young plantings of flowering myrtle vine and those on steep slopes can be pruned with handheld pruning shears. Sterilize them with rubbing alcohol to avoid spreading diseases from other plants and trim the plants down to 4 to 6 inches tall. Prune in the early spring before new growth emerges.

Are periwinkle and vinca the same thing?

Periwinkle is also called vinca or myrtle. Of the 12 species of periwinkle, two are popular groundcovers. All species have opposite leaves and single flowers. The perennial periwinkle should not be confused with the bedding plant, Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus).

What's the difference between myrtle and periwinkle?

The charming periwinkle, also called myrtle, has a long history. Originally a native of southern Europe, plants were brought over by the colonists, and now it has naturalized over much of the Northeast.

What is the best plant for ground cover?

Does myrtle grow in full sun?

Myrtle ground cover does best when planted in early spring or fall so that the roots have a chance to become established before extreme temperatures arrive. It grows best in full sun to partial shade and will thrive in almost any soil.