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Maureen Gilmer
Apocynaceae
VINCA major
Greater Periwinkle
Unsurpassed at quickly producing a sea of lush green groundcover, this creeping broadleaf evergreen shrub also offers abundant showy bloom every spring. A Mediterranean native, it was well known by the Romans and spread far and wide by them. Its long lax shoots root at the tips to form large masses of glossy dark green oval leaves. Intensely blue flowers the size of a large coin cover the foliage in late spring. Fertile seed is not produced in cultivation. This somewhat tender shrub is perhaps best known in the form of 'Variegata', with white-edged leaves.
Greater periwinkle does well in both sun and shade, but loses much of its lushness in hot summer afternoon sun. It can tolerate extended periodic drought, then green up and grow vigorously once water returns. Use it under old shade trees, on erosion-prone slopes, and in other problem areas. It is perfect for dangling over the edges of walls or large pots. Its value as a vigorous, drought resistant creeper cannot be overstated, although in some areas of the western and southern United States it is invasively rampant.
9 - 7
7 - 9
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Broadleaf Evergreen
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade
18"-0" / 45.7cm - 0.0cm
3'-10' / 0.9m - 3.0m
Spring
Mediterranean
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Drought
Fast
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Prostrate/Trailing
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Showy
Blue
Green
Green, Dark Green
No
Single
Medium
Glossy
Yes
Container, Groundcover, Hanging Basket
Sometimes
Butterflies
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