Reannan Raine Vinca minor, commonly called lesser or dwarf periwinkle, myrtle, creeping myrtle or vinca covers the ground year-round with its evergreen foliage. What Is Making Dirt Mounds in My Yard? RANTS PLANTS I cant address the currency if the official list in Maryland (the state if my childhood), but these lists are often years out of date, if they exist at all. Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor). Plant your vinca minor when temperatures are around 24 to 38 C (75 to 100 F). Some of my favorite hikes are ones where you come across old homesteads in the middle of nowhere. Below, we will look at the best companion plants for vinca! Plant 12-18 in. Provide high-humus soil that retains moisture. Plant the division immediately at the same level it had been growing. Ola. wide (2.5 cm), emerge above the foliage. Your best bet is to use divisions or nursery transplants. Thrives in full sun to part shade in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Achieving vigorous growth is usually not difficult for these plants. Unleash the power of periwinkle in your garden with these easy-growing tips!Read More, Not sure which Vinca - Periwinkle to pick?Compare All Vinca - Periwinkle, Buy Vinca minor f. alba (Lesser Periwinkle), Great Plant Combination Ideas with Vinca - Periwinkle. Trailing stems with smooth, evergreen leaves (to 1.5" long) root at the nodes as they go along the ground and quickly spread to form an attractive ground cover. Coleus is the second kind of plant that complements vinca nicely. How to Sow and Plant. Several types of coleuses can be planted both as annual and perennial plants. Like the vinca plant, this annual plant grows leaves in various colors, making it easier for you to pair with your vinca plants. Step 1. Plant annual vinca in a hanging basket, spilling over with small flowers or variegated foliage. It is used as a ground cover in landscaping. Before using it, try some alternatives to vinca vine. Ford 3000 Tractor Review: Should You Purchase It. For example, if two plants love the sun, require similar fertilizer needs and one is taller while the other is a spreader, they will probably be great companion plants in a pot or hanging . If the soil is heavy or needs other amendments, add them before planting. Pat down the soil around the plant roots, then water thoroughly. If the vines are properly cared for, they will immediately begin to spread over your garden. I love Vinca and grow it in my backyard garden. Madagascar periwinkle is quite different from these two plants; Its a tender perennial treated as an annual outside of zones 10 and 11, and its also a bedding plant that grows in full sun. However, growing it with companion plants can further enhance the beauty of your yard. I havent ever seen it in the nearby woods. I used tiny 1-inch plants, and kept them watered for the first summer we were here. Missouri Botanical Garden. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. MINISTRY OF CONTROVERSY If you've ever sat on a bench beside a quiet, still pond with lovely butterflies flittering about, then you know the feeling that Vinca minor Traditional evokes with her classic, evergreen, trailing vines of dazzling glossy green (1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch) leaves. Sweet potato vines require a warm temperature for them to grow healthy, so if you take proper care of its vines and place it under the right weather with the right amount of watering, be ready to watch your plant last for a longer time. I like to use it in my winter containers. Note this is the default cart. So, if you stay in a place where the temperature is high enough, your coleus would last longer, but if you stay in colder regions, I would not advise you to get coleus plants. This way, you protect them from harsh UV rays while also providing enough sunlight. Note this is the default cart. Vinca minor commonly know as vinca or periwinkle is one of the most popular and widely used ground covers. Theyare deer-resistant and rabbit-proof flowers, and few insects eat them, so there is not much pest control to worry about. Before using it, try some alternatives to vinca vine. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame. And yes, if it has been infested by insects, consider reaching out to a botanist. Cutting the plants back also encourages new growth, which is much brighter and shinier than the old leaves and offers a nice spot of color in dark areas. Tolerates close to full shade but flowers best in full sun. apart (20 cm) for quick cover of smaller areas. Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. You can also do a stem cutting, but that takes a little more work since you have to get the stem to root. After planting this plant and seeing it just chill in one spot for 20+ years, then after that it took off and is what I call invasive. Attractive to butterflies but ignored by deer! It has This makes them a great option for preventing weeds from growing between their dense mats of foliage. apart (30-45 cm) to cover large areas. In this photo its seen covering much of the ground layer in the Treman State Park in Upstate New York. Vinca major is a larger plant with bigger leaves, flowers, and habit. It is frequently planted as an annual, as it is not cold-hardy. Another plant that can be considered a vinca companion is the sweet potato vine. Its glossy evergreen leaves and cheerful blue star-like flowers can really brighten up a shady corner in your garden. Periwinkle can come back every year as a perennial when planted in warmer climates but is an annual in cooler regions. Dahlia is a stunning perennial flower that you can have close to your vincas in your garden, which means that it would last for years with proper maintenance. The vines need little care. Vinca minor 'Bowles'. Long creeping stems commonly root at nodes and form mats. These companion plants mentioned here are one of the best you can find out there, although several other ones are good enough. The botanical name is Catharanthus roseus, and the common name is Madagascar periwinkle. RANT REVIEWS Don't despair if the area under your willow tree looks like it needs something to make it look more interesting. As you may guess, major means bigger. Effective on slopes or banks to stabilize soils and prevent erosion. Water deeply and keep the soil moist for a couple of months to give the roots time to develop; after that, only water when the soil is dry to 1 inch. In terms of temperatures, plants hardy to zones 4-8 can withstand a minimum temperature of 30 to 37 F (34 to 38 C) once they are established. Vinca major This is the hardier and smaller plant of the two main speciesminor in Latin means smaller. My two companion plants, that most everyone knows is astilbe (don't know its name) and daylily Mayaysian Monarch accompanied by one annual every year. The brilliant flowers come in a wide range of colors that will fit in any garden. Video-blogging about hoop dancing on her channel Susans Hoop Dance Journey, which launched in 2023. No doubt, vinca looks great. What is Vinca? Im not going to walk on Hellebores or many of the others mentioned as alternatives. Periwinkle is also used as a spreading shrub in USDA garden zones 4 to 8. To use the website as intended please Filtered sun, Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade, Partial sun. The warmer, the better. On the other hand, a friend who lives in a more low-lying part of the area has it coming up everywhere the water table is high and it gets a lot more moisture. long. Add a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch around vinca minor plants. Bring out the contrasting eye of the vinca flower by pairing them with a flower that matches the flower's eye. Most often the problem is seeding, which is not considered by many comments in this article. Why Do I Keep Finding Peanut Shells in My Yard? All that is required of you is that the plant receives appropriate maintenance. This is an easy way to find plants that grow well. Periwinkle is easy to grow in containers if the pot has drainage holes. Use insecticidal soap or neem oil to control any infestations. Ajuga reptans or Bugleweed has been selected here by Arthur Use our interactive toolsto design your dream garden. Plant 8 in. We cannot currently ship this product to your zip code. Read on to learn all about growing this lovely plant . As the names suggest, all parts, including flowers, of V. major are larger than those of V. minor. The Garden wouldn't be the Garden without our Members, Donors and Volunteers. Unfortunately, there is no sure cure for this, so whenever your plant develops this disease, you should prune that part off to ensure it doesnt spread to other plants. The flowers are also attractive to butterflies. Tubular, lavender blue, phlox-like flowers (to 1 inch across) appear in the leaf axils in spring and continue to flower intermittently throughout summer into fall. The annual vinca is the most common type planted in gardens, and with proper care, maintaining this plant would not be such a work. Add water, enclose the pot in a large, clear plastic bag and place it in a warm, bright area. Although it is a long-lived plant, it can suffer from many diseases, especially in humid, wet climates. Vinca minor could also experience canker lesions on the stem. (After two sprayings, I am still fighting the stuff.) I live in the suburban urban sprawl I have problems with Japanese honeysuckle, porcelain Berry, devils vine, creeping charle and trees of heaven these i hate and feel need outlawing! It is a vine type plant that very much looks like ivy. While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. For best results, plant them in partial shade. The cheery flowers on vinca are accented by glossy green leaves. 100 years. If its your first time, it would be better to consult with a botanist before fertilizing. And more importantly, how to grow those companion plants? Here are some good vinca vine alternatives to consider for your yard, broken down by sunlight needs: Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Ive been on a mission to get rid of it for 10+ years. Vinca minor is an evergreen ground cover that spreads by rooted stems. Managing Pests in Gardens: Floriculture: Vinca. The periwinkle plant is exceptional as an erosion control specimen. It blooms in late spring and occasionally in summer and fall. Can spread aggressively into adjacent lawns or garden areas. Its dense tufts of almost-evergreen, broadly grassy leaves are often striped. Caring for Vinca During Winter. The plant could last the user a very long period, depending on how well it maintains health. Tolerates close to full shade. Do not splash the plants' foliage. Pink flowers in spring to summer. 4 Possible Reasons, 13 Handy Tips To Keep Raccoons Out Of Corn, Black Edges On Tomato Leaves: Remedies and Cure, How To Get Rid of Stinging Nettles Permanently? Blooms. Check these Great Plant Combination Ideas with Vinca - Periwinkle, A Long-Lasting Summer Garden Idea with Marigold and Sage, A Great Summer Planting Idea with Mexican Sunflowers, Zinnia and Grasses, A Spectacular Summer Planting Idea with Dahlia, Zinnia, Chinese Aster and Ammi visnaga, A Cheerful Border Idea with Monarda, Clematis and Artemisia, A Terrific Duo to Try: Achillea and Festuca, 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. The best companion plants to pair with maple trees include hellebore, vinca minor, sedum, ferns, daffodils, lilly of the valley, daylilies, tulips, crocus, and Canadian wild ginger. this plant can seriously get out of control an spread every where! This can cause the roots to rot, leading to dehydration in the plant. Its nothing like English ivy, which harms trees by climbing up into them, where it makes berries that are then spread by birds. My favorite is one where all the irises from what must have been a considerable planting flourished and spread across a patch maybe 50 x 50 yards. Also not recommended for places you need to walk through. The long, trailing stems root at the nodes as they go along the ground to form a dense carpet of rich foliage. Mat forming, Vinca minor f. alba (Lesser Periwinkle) is a prostrate evergreen perennial with long trailing stems clothed with neat, ovate, dark green leaves. Water when top 2 inches of soil is dry. Vinca is able to stand up to all types of adverse conditions and not only survive, but thrive.