'Bowles' Periwinkle Vine (Vinca)
Perennial
- Useful flowering perennial ground cover for shade.
- Enjoy large 1"blue flowers in spring!
- Glossy evergreen leaves look good year-round.
- Deer & rabbit resistant, overall low-maintenance.
- Zones 4-9, part sun/shade, 8" tall x 18" wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Buying landscape plugs? Here is how much area they will cover:
- 6" spacing of 32 landscape plugs covers 6 sq feet
- 8" spacing covers 7.5 sq feet
- 10" spacing covers 11 sq feet
- 12" spacing covers 16 sq feet
Details
Common name: Periwinkle
Zone: 4 - 9
Sun exposure: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun), Shade (<4 hours sun)
Height x width: 6-8" x 18"
Flower color: Blue
Foliage color: Green
Season of Interest: Spring
Bloom time:Spring, summer
Features:Winter interest, suitable for slopes, ground covers, evergreens, dry soils, deer resistant, best for beginners
Uses: Alpine and rock, Container gardening, Edging, Erosion control or embankment, Ground cover, Massing, Naturalizing, Rain garden, Rock garden, Slopes, Small spaces, Under planting.
How to Grow
Light: Sun tolerant in cool northern zones. In hot summer areas, plant in dappled to deep shade.
Water: Best with regular water - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. Tolerates dry shade once plants are established.
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart. In two to three years, the Vinca will completely cover the planting bed. Plant 6" apart and by the end of the first year the bed will be completely covered.
Fertilizing: Very adaptable and can survive in any well-drained soil. Mulch in between the plants when first planting. This is important to not only retain water, but to also keep the weeds out. After the Vinca minor fill in the area, you will not need to mulch any more.
Winterizing: Add at least 4 inches of loose organic mulch, such as leaf compost in November to winterize your vinca. For greater protection from frost, and snow, completely cover the foliage in 5 to 6 inches of loose leaves.
Maintenance & Pruning: Stems root into the ground readily, and the new plants that form may be easily moved to a new location in spring or early fall. Mowing the patch low after blooming every couple of years will help to keep it thick and weed resistant.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.