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Vinca major (Large Periwinkle or Greater 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.
It is an evergreen trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form patches of ground cover 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.
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. Caucasus, northeastern Turkey.
The closely related species Vinca minor is similar but smaller, with narrower, hairless leaves.
Cultivation and uses
Vinca major is commonly grown in temperate gardens for its evergreen foliage, spring flowers, and vining habit. Several cultivars are available, with white to dark violet flowers and variegated foliage.
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.