Common Names: Vinca Vine, Variegated

Family Name: Apocynaceae

Attributes: Vinca Vine, Variegated -' Variegata' is an old cultivar with white flowers and leaves edged with light yellow. Trailing evergreen plant with oblong, shiny dark green leaves to 2 inches, sometimes having variegated foilage. Tubular five-petaled flowers bloom primarily in spring, then sporadically through the summer and into fall. Great ground cover for shady areas including slopes and woods. Excellent when used in combination with azaleas, rhododendron, dogwoods. Spring and fall bulbs easily naturalized beneath this sometimes invasive ground cover.

General Information: Vinca Vine, Variegated -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. Plants bloom in March or April and sometimes again in the fall. Vinca minor grows about 6 inches tall, spreading in all directions by sending out long trailing and rooting shoots, which make new plants.Periwinkle prefers shade but will grow well in full sun. The foliage color is richer green in partial shade, but more flowers are produced in the sun. Rooted cuttings or established plants are normally spaced from 12 to 18 inches apart. At a 6-inch spacing periwinkle will completely cover an area in one year. Plant whenever the soil is workable and provide sufficient water, especially when planting in summer. Weeding and mulching are required on a regular basis until the groundcover fills in the planted area. Periwinkle prefers moist, well-drained soil, abundantly supplied with organic matter, but it is tolerant of a wide variety of soil conditions. Fertilize only when necessary, preferably in the spring with a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 at a rate of 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Occasionally shear plants close to the ground to encourage new growth. Propagate by taking tip cuttings of non-flowering stems in late spring or divide throughout the season.