Lesser Periwinkle
Vinca minor, family Apocynaceae
A low, evergreen groundcover with violet or white star-shaped flowers
Lesser Periwinkle is a trailing evergreen plant grown for its glossy leaves and violet or white flowers. It spreads across the ground, rooting as it goes, and is often used in gardens as a groundcover. Native to parts of Europe and southwestern Asia, it can also be found in the United States, where it sometimes escapes cultivation.
- Forms dense mats of evergreen leaves and violet or white flowers
- Native to parts of Europe and southwestern Asia
- Can become invasive in some regions, especially in the United States
- Many cultivated varieties have unique flower colors or variegated leaves
- Source of alkaloids studied for medicinal purposes
What does Lesser Periwinkle look like?
Lesser Periwinkle is a small, spreading plant that hugs the ground, rarely growing taller than 40 centimeters. Its dark green, leathery leaves stay on all year. The flowers, which appear singly where the leaves meet the stem, are usually violet-purple but can also be white or blue in cultivated forms. Each flower has five lobes and measures about 2 to 3 centimeters across.
Where does Lesser Periwinkle come from?
This plant grows wild from Portugal and France through the Netherlands, the Baltic region, and east to the Caucasus and Turkey. Over time, it has been introduced to gardens in many temperate regions, including North America, where it sometimes escapes and spreads in woodlands. Its name and use in gardens have a long history in Europe.
When and how Lesser Periwinkle blooms
Lesser Periwinkle blooms mainly from early spring through midsummer, with a few flowers continuing into autumn. It thrives in temperate climates and is often planted from cuttings or divisions, as it roots easily where stems touch the soil. Gardeners value it for its ability to form dense mats that keep weeds down.
How Lesser Periwinkle is used
People grow this plant mostly as a groundcover in gardens, cemeteries, and parks for its evergreen leaves and long flowering season. In the southern United States, it was once planted in graveyards, and its presence can mark old burial sites. Some of its chemical compounds are used to make derivatives for medicinal research.
Kinds of Lesser Periwinkle
There are many cultivated forms of Lesser Periwinkle, some with variegated leaves or different flower colors. Notable varieties include 'Argenteovariegata' with creamy-edged leaves, 'Atropurpurea' with burgundy-purple blooms, and 'Azurea Flore Pleno' with double blue flowers. 'Bowles's Variety' is known for its violet-blue flowers.
What Lesser Periwinkle means
The flower gave its name to the color 'periwinkle.' In some places, it is considered invasive because it forms thick mats that can crowd out native plants. It contains many alkaloids, including vincamine, which has been studied for medicinal uses. The plant is rarely troubled by pests or diseases outside its native area.
Where Lesser Periwinkle is used and seen
Agdal GardensHistoric walled orchards and gardens south of Marrakech's old city
WreathA ring-shaped decoration made from flowers, leaves, or other materials
PerfumeA scented liquid made from oils, flowers, and aromatics for body and space
GrasseFrench Riviera town famed for its perfume industry and flower fields
TopiaryThe art of shaping living shrubs and trees into geometric or fanciful formsTraditions that use it
Questions people ask about Lesser Periwinkle
Where does Lesser Periwinkle come from?
It is originally from central and southern Europe, including areas from Portugal and France to the Caucasus and Turkey. It also grows wild in parts of southwestern Asia.
What does Lesser Periwinkle look like?
It is a low, spreading evergreen plant with glossy, dark green leaves and star-shaped flowers that are usually violet-purple, but can also be white or blue in some cultivated forms.
How is Lesser Periwinkle used?
People mainly use it as a groundcover in gardens and cemeteries for its evergreen foliage and long flowering season. Some of its chemical compounds are used in medicinal research.
Is Lesser Periwinkle invasive?
Yes, in some places like the United States, it can spread aggressively and crowd out native plants by forming thick mats along the ground.
Are there different varieties of Lesser Periwinkle?
Yes, several cultivated varieties exist, with differences in flower color and leaf markings. Some have double flowers or variegated leaves.
Good reading and sources
- Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Vinca minor", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
Others in the family Apocynaceae
The whole family
OleanderNerium oleander
A showy, evergreen shrub with clusters of pink, white or red flowers
🇲🇦 Morocco and 8 more · Flowering shrub
Plumeria
Fragrant tropical tree with waxy, five-petaled flowers in many colours
🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Flowering tree
Mandevilla
A tropical vine with large trumpet-shaped blooms in vivid colours
🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 more · Climber
Pinwheel flowerTabernaemontana divaricata
A fragrant white-flowered shrub native to South and Southeast Asia
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 2 more · Flowering shrub
More from France
All the flowers of France
TulipTulipa
Spring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many colours
🇳🇱 Netherlands and 7 more · Wildflower
Common flaxLinum usitatissimum
The slender blue-flowered plant grown for linen and linseed
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower
Chrysanthemum菊花
Autumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyond
🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Wildflower
LindenTilia
Tall, broad-leaved trees with fragrant yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree