Vinca minor

RHS Plant Profile
lesser periwinkle

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Vinca minor?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
lesser periwinkle John Fielding
lesser periwinkle visionspictures.com
lesser periwinkle visionspictures.com

Other common names

lady's flower, running myrtle, small periwinkle, trailing myrtle, wintergreen

Shrubs
Thank you - your purchase supports our charity work Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £5.99Buy this from Plant Nurseries
22 Suppliers

A mat-forming evergreen shrub with trailing, rooting shoots and opposite pairs of glossy, dark green leaves. From mid-spring to late summer it produces violet-blue flowers to 3cm across

Position

Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full shade Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing or South–facing or North–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Apocynaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
Yes
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Matforming
Genus
Vinca can be evergreen subshrubs or herbaceous perennials, with simple, paired leaves and solitary, 5-lobed, salver-shaped flowers in the leaf axils
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Europe, S. Russia, N. Caucasus

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any but very dry soil, in full sun (for best flowering) to partial shade. May have the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well

Propagation

Propagate by division or semi-ripe cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Ground cover
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

To restrict growth, cut back hard in early spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to rust diseases