Periwinkle

Vinca minor

Also comes in white and purple.

Periwinkle blooms from April through June.

Bloom calendar

Bloom time

Apr–Jun

Hardiness

Zones 4–9

Sun

Part shade

Water

Low water

Mature size

6 in × 1.6 ft

Type

Perennial

Verification

Core facts checked

Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.

Plant it in part shade. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 6 in tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.

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When to plant Periwinkle

Plant Periwinkle in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from April to June.

Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.

Good to know about Periwinkle

Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.

Safety

Toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the foliage holds vinca alkaloids. Signs run from vomiting and diarrhea to tremors and seizures. per ASPCA

Worth knowing

Its poison and its medicine are one chemistry: the leaf's main alkaloid, vincamine, is the source of vinpocetine, a supplement used to modulate cerebral blood flow. per Poison Control and PubMed Central

Is it really dangerous?

The pet listing is serious, but human poisoning is essentially unrecorded; a documented toddler ingestion caused no symptoms. Still, keep pets and children from eating it. per ASPCA and Poison Control

Invasive; contain it

It escapes gardens across much of North America, smothering woodland floors. Trailing stems root wherever a node touches soil, so edge it and keep it from wild areas. per NC State and USDA

Deer and rabbit resistant

Browsers leave it alone: the bitter, toxic vinca alkaloids in the foliage make it unpalatable, so it holds up as a shade groundcover under deer pressure. per NC State

Evergreen groundcover for shade

It holds glossy, leathery leaves through winter and tolerates deep shade, so it carpets shady ground where turf and most groundcovers fail. per NC State

Stem canker is the risk

Few pests bother it, but stem canker, a fungal dieback, can kill large patches in wet, humid weather. Water at the base and cut out infected spots. per NC State and Virginia Cooperative Extension

What pairs well with Periwinkle

Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.

Beautyberry
Takes part sun to part shade and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into midsummer; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Camellia
Shares part shade and low to moderate water; blooms in midwinter, before this one opens; stands well above at 6.6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Goatsbeard
Shares part shade and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into midsummer; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; a soft color beside the blue; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
Northern Sea Oats
Shares part shade and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; orange against blue, for contrast; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
Lady's Mantle
Shares part shade and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into midsummer; taller at 1.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rhododendron
Shares part shade and low to moderate water; stands well above at 5.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Lemon Balm
Takes part sun to part shade and low to moderate water; taller at 2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Hardy Geranium
Takes part sun to part shade and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; taller at 1.3 ft, for the layer behind it; purple sits close to blue on the wheel; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.