My Corner Online
Vinca minor | Vinca Vine, Lesser periwinkle, Running Myrtle
First Bloom Dates:
2017 March 3
2018 April 25
2019 April 25
2022 Pulled it out
Vinca minor | Vinca Vine, Lesser periwinkle, Running Myrtle
Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family) Pronounced Ah-pos-eh-NAY-cee-eye
Dogbane is Greek for dog-away because it was once used as dog poison. Now what!?
The name is most likely from the Latin word "vincire" which means "bind." The vines were used as garlands. Now why did I never think to make a garland with mine!
My Vinca vine was variegated which I loved.
Vinca Vine is a creeping evergreen vine although mine seemed to have leaves turn yellow and die off and then come back. The runners can take root and spread vigorously, but I controlled mine by making it fall over the side of the concrete garden bed and down the wall so that there was not much for it to take hold of to spread. It would get long enough that it would begin following the dirt at the edge of the wall and the walkway. At first it was no problem for me to continually trim it to keep it cascading, but eventually I decided that as I grow older, I want less work in the garden and I took it out.
To control it, I used little frog or turtle statutes to weight the vines to grow in the direction I wanted it to grow.
Otherwise, in general, Vinca vine is considered an invasive plant unless it is controlled as I did.
I always called this plant the Vinca Vine, but it is also known as the Lesser periwinkle, being associated with another plant called the Bigleaf periwinkle. It does have a beautiful periwinkle color to the flowers making the name very fitting.
I note that the Vinca plant I like to plant as an annual that I buy at the store is Catharanthus roseus and sometimes called Madagascar Periwinkle.
2021
Mr. Toad is a little metal decorative whose purpose was to hold down and direct the Vinca Vine where I wanted it to go.
2018
Mr. Turtle was plastic and served the same thing as Mr. Frog.
Mr. Toad had a crown.
2017
2016
This is what the vine looked like before I took the yard decoratives and placed them on top to hold them down.
2015
Here is the vine again before it is held down and directed over the edge.
2014
2013
You can see the old growth of last year hanging over the edge. It did not bloom. The new blooms always occurs on the new growth from the current year that just grew in recent weeks.
I tried to get creative and used ribbon to hold down the vine. This ribbon was stiff. Mr. Dove also helped hold down vines.
2012
This is the best photo of the collection that shows how they looked after they flowed over the edge of the stone garden wall.
2011
2007
2006
