Vinca Minor or Lesser Periwinkle Evergreen Perennial

Vinca Minor, which is commonly known as the Lesser Periwinkle or Small Periwinkle is a very useful evergreen flowering perennial which is an excellent ground cover plant. 

Vinca Minor flowers continuously from spring right through to the end of summer producing small yet eye-catching violet, blue or white flowers. Its evergreen foliage is a dark glossy green. In terms of growth habit, this is a vining groundcover plant, meaning it is a woody plant which has widely spreading stems. Similar to Vinca Major, Vinca Minor has an outward spreading habit eventually forming a matt of ground cover. The plant spreads by throwing down roots as they creep along the ground so they can fill a large area fairly quickly while helping to keep down the weeds. 

How does Vinca Minor differ from Vinca Major?
Vinca Major and Vinca Minor are both excellent groundcover plants. Both are evergreen and both also like partial shade and prefer not to dry out. Vinca minor has small glossy dark green leaves and violet blue flowers. Vinca major has soft light green leaves and bright blue flowers. 

Height And Spread of Vinca Minor
The Lesser Periwinkle is a fast-growing and low-growing perennial and can reach a max height of 0.5 metres and a spread of 1.5 metres.

How Hardy is Vinca Minor
The Lesser Periwinkle is hardy and perfectly suited to UK growing conditions. Its Hardiness Rating is 6, meaning it can survive in conditions as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.

How To Use Vinca Minor
Vinca Minor is a hardy, low-maintenance plant which can have many uses in the garden. It is most useful as a groundcover plant especially in areas where little else will grow. It is often used to cover shaded banks, woodlands or underneath trees. 

How To Care For Vinca Minor
The Lesser Periwinkle is flexible in terms of aspect whether it’s west, east, north or south-facing. It enjoys full sun to partial shade and will produce more blooms with plenty of sunshine. It will grow in moist fertile soil of any pH and any soil type. It will also perform well as a container plant.  
Water well until established and ensure container plants don’t dry out. A thick layer of mulch around the roots traps moisture and provides nutrients for the coming year.