General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Partial Shade to Full Shade
Full Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 6-12 inches
Plant Spread: 15-18 inches
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Blue
Lavender
White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Other: blooms repeatedly
Uses: Groundcover
Will Naturalize
Resistances: Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Stratify seeds: if starting indoors
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Other info: can be direct sown in the fall
Propagation: Other methods: Layering
Division
Pollinators: Bees

Image
Common names
  • Lesser Periwinkle
  • Creeping Myrtle
  • Common Periwinkle
  • Flower-of-Death

Photo Gallery
Location: My garden
Date: May 6, 2017
Photo by JebobaTea
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-03-24

Date: 2022-03-26
Location: Greer Spring, MO
Date: 2019-04-06
Only visible evidence of prior homestead.
Location: My Gardens
Date: March 31, 2007
Close Up View
Location: Hortus Camera Lapidea
Date: 2009-04-11
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2029-03-29
Location: IL
Date: 2005-04-20
Location: My Gardens
Date: March 31, 2007
Close Up View
Location: Hortus Camera Lapidea
Date: 2017-04-09
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-04-16
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-04-01
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany
photo by H. Zell
Location: Wiesbaden - Germany
Date: April 5th 2013
with a smal spider inside
Location: My Gardens
Date: March 31, 2007
In Shade
Location: Skaneateles Conservation Area
photo credit: R. A. Nonenmacher
Location: Washington
Date: 2016-03-20
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2017-02-28
Feb.
Location: Shady, almost vertical cliffside
Date: 2020-05-01

Date: 2013-06-03
Location: Madrid, Spain | April, 2023
Date: 2023-04-07
Location: central Illinois
Date: 4-16-19
Location: Ontario Canada
Date: 2020-04-26
Location: Grapevine, Texas USA
Date: 2020-05-03
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-05-11
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-05-17
Location: Kentucky
Date: 2018-04-03
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-04-18
Photo by Hamwild

Date: 2018-04-17

Date: 2018-05-02
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2011-04-27
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2011-05-10
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-04-01
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Denver, Colorado
Date: April 2009
Deep royal purple small flowers that love the shade and spread. V

Date: 2020-04-11

Credit florum

Credit florum

Credit florum
Photo by SongofJoy
Location: Skaneateles Conservation Area
photo credit: R. A. Nonenmacher
Location: Skaneateles Conservation Area
photo credit: R. A. Nonenmacher
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-10-14
climbing up a tree
Location: Farmer John's Greenhouse, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2009-04-16
Location: Farmer John's Greenhouse, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2009-04-16
Location: Farmer John's Greenhouse, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2009-04-16
Location: Farmer John's Greenhouse, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2009-04-16
Location: Steinkopf  Nursery, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2011-06-30
Location: Steinkopf  Nursery, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2011-06-30
Location: Steinkopf  Nursery, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2011-06-30
Location: Steinkopf  Nursery, Farmington Hills, MI
Date: 2011-06-30
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-04-26
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by sallyg (central Maryland - Zone 7b) on Mar 31, 2020 6:18 AM concerning plant:
    Use with caution. Vinca is a very popular groundcover and has been around for decades. In my garden, in one place, I have one patch very well behaved under a big tree and surrounded by lawn. In another area, it is creeping under the fence from a neighbor, and very sneakily embeds itself in my shrubs, iris clumps, etc. So it seems bright shade, where you can easily get to all the edges, may keep it better contained, whereas protection of other plants helps it to creep and invade. Once rooted in the base of a shrub, you cannot pull it and it sends runners out every year.
    It is listed as a non-native invasive plant of eastern US, according to the invasiveplantatlas.org.
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