Periwinkle as a Ground Cover

Gardening with periwinkle (Vinca spp.) As a ground cover provides your yard a visually gentle, tidy look, due to the glossy foliage and tiny flowers that bloom in many different gentle hues. Become knowledgeable about the periwinkle ground cover that is most appropriate for your landscape and pay attention to any adjustments to prevent disease damage.

Considerations

Choosing periwinkle ground cover might lead to confusion because of distinct species referred to by exactly the same name. Known as creeping myrtle, common periwinkle and dwarf periwinkle (Vinca minor), this smaller of the periwinkles is the proper choice because it isn’t considered invasive. Take steps to prevent planting the bigger, invasive species occasionally called big periwinkle (Vinca major). The ends of bare big periwinkle stems root when they contact the ground, which makes this an aggressive species that might wreak havoc in your garden and on native plants in your town.

Attributes

Common periwinkle is an evergreen perennial ground cover that exhibits glossy, deep green contrary leaf. This plant is prized because of its 1/2-inch diameter, spiral, five-petaled flowers in a light blue-violet hue. Diversify your lawn using periwinkle cultivars, like “Variegata” which has variegated yellow leaf or “Alba,” which has white flowers. Common periwinkle grows to a height of up to 6 inches with a spread of about 3 ft, rapidly growing using a matting habit.

General Care

Common periwinkle ground cover thrives in regions of the garden that provide partial sun to shade. These plants may experience burned leaves when exposed to full sunlight. Common periwinkle tolerates most soil conditions but it thrives in moist, well-drained soil, rich in organic content, with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0. Fertilizing periwinkle using a 10-10-10 complete fertilizer during the spring promotes healthy development. Common periwinkle performs best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8.

Stem Blight

Though common periwinkle is susceptible to many different issues, the ailment to be concerned about is vinca stem blight. This fungal disease is caused by the pathogen Phoma exigua var. Exigua and leads to the death of sole stems. Symptoms first appear as dark regions of dying tissue on stems, followed by wilting and foliage death. The illness may spread quickly, leading to the death of large regions of the ground cover. The standing water produced by overhead watering creates an ideal environment for the development of fungi. Water at the base of the plant to lower the probability of infection. You can impede this illness by removing and destroying dead plant parts. Control methods include copper-based fungicide sprays.

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