Vinca major & Vinca minor

Vinca major and Vinca minor

Common name: Vinca major: greater perriwinkle; Vinca minor: littleaf perriwinkle, dwarf perriwinkle

Family: Apocynaceae

Leaf (Vinca major): evergreen dark green, opposite, glossy leaves up to 3" long, ovate to lanceolate

Leaf (Vinca minor): evergreen leaves up to 1.5" long, opposite, glossy, dark green, with entire margins, lanceolate

Flowers (Vinca major): solitary, tubular, phlox-like, pale blue flowers, up to 1.5" across, blooming on upright stalks from leaf axils in spring. Blooms intermittently throughout summer into fall.

Flowers (Vinca minor): solitary, lavender blue flowers, up to 1" across, blooming from from the leaf axils in spring. Blooms intermittently throughout summer into fall.

Habit: prostrate perennial with trailing, rooting stems; Form: mat-forming

Height: (Vinca major): 0.5-1'; Spread 1-2'

Height (Vinca minor): 0.25-0.5'; Spread: 0.5-1.5'

Culture: Easily grown in dry to medium moisture soils in full sun to part shade. Will tolerate close to full shade. Prefers rich, humusy soils in part shade. Vinca major is hardy in USDA zones 7-9, while Vinca minor is hardy to USDA zones 4-8. Plant 12-1" apart to cover a wide area.

Uses: groundcover in wide area, understory groundcover, containers, hanging baskets

Origin: (Vinca major): NE Asia Minor and adjacent W. Caucases

Origin: (Vinca minor): Europe to Souther Russia

Vinca major

Vinca minor