Vinca major
| Vinca major | |
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| Vinca major leaves and flower | |
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| Species: | V. major
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| Binomial name | |
| Vinca major | |
Vinca major, with the common names Large Periwinkle, Greater Periwinkle and Blue Periwinkle, is a flowering plant native to southern Europe, from Spain and southern France east to the western Balkans, and also in northeastern Turkey and the western Caucasus.
Description
Vinca major is an evergreen trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form dense masses of groundcover individually 2-5 m across and scrambling up to 50-70 cm high. The leaves are opposite, 3-9 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an entire but distinctly hairy margin, and a hairy petiole 1-2 cm long. The flowers are produced from early spring to autumn, violet-purple, 3-5 cm diameter, with a five-lobed corolla.
Subspecies
There are two subspecies, with geographically separate ranges:
- Vinca major subsp. major. Leaf petioles finely hairy, hairs short. Southern Europe.
- Vinca major subsp. hirsuta (Boiss.) Stearn (syn. V. pubescens d'Urv.). Leaf petioles densely hairy, hairs longer; petals much narrower. Caucasus, northeastern Turkey.
The closely related species Vinca minor is similar but smaller, with narrower, hairless leaves.
Cultivation and uses
Vinca major is a commonly grown ornamental plant in temperate gardens for its evergreen foliage, spring flowers, and groundcover or vine use.
Cultivars
Many cultivars are available, with differences in flowers, such as white to dark violet flowers, and different patterns and colors of variegated foliage.
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Detail of the flower, swelling flower buds and foliage in spring -
A display of the flowers -
Giant steps periwinkle, a variety of Vinca major -
A display of the flower of subsp. hirsuta
Invasive plant species
Vinca major is an invasive species in temperate parts of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It is especially a common noxious weed 'smothering' native plants and diversity in riparian area and oak woodland habitats of coastal California.
References
- Flora Europaea: Vinca major distribution
- Blamey, M., & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. Hodder & Stoughton.
- Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 4: 664-665. Macmillan.
