Periwinkle
Botanical Name:
Vinca minor
Monitor List
General
- Native to Europe.
- Not listed as a noxious weed in Washington – on monitor list.
Identification
- Periwinkle is a trailing, evergreen groundcover with dark green opposite leaves.
- Flowers March-May.
- Leaves are opposite, dark green, glossy, oval to lance-shaped, thick-textured; may be variegated.
- Flowers are blue, lavender or white, about 1 in. (2.5 cm) across, five petals blunt at tip, arranged in spiral.
- No fruits or seeds typically.
- Spreads vegetatively through rhizomes.
- The thin, wiry stems sprawl over the ground, and produce a milky sap when broken.
Photos
Habitat
- Disturbed forest understory and edge, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Reproduction and Spread
- Spreads primarily by underground rhizomes, and stolons that root at the tips.
Control
- Can be controlled through manual and cultural methods.
- Small infestations can be pulled or dug, although control will need to be repeated, as resprouting will occur.
- Regular mowing may inhibit the plant but will not eradicate it.
- If this plant is used in a landscape, it should be planted in a contained area, such as one surrounded by concrete.