Common Name: Lesser Periwinkle

General Information

Vinca minor is an evergreen perennial plant with prostrate, slender, more or less woody stems that can be 100cm or more long, plus erect, flowering stems up to 40cm tall. The prostrate stems scramble over the ground, rooting at the nodes in moist conditions, the plant forming a carpet of growth up to 30cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. It is sometimes cultivated (in Hungary, for example) for medicinal use as a source of the alkaloid vincamine[]. A very ornamental plant, it is often grown in gardens where it is especially useful as a ground cover.
Vinca minor has become an invasive plant in countries such as Australia and the USA. It is introduced to new locations usually as an ornamental or medicinal herb. It spreads locally from dumped garden waste, plant fragments carried downstream and as a garden escape along shady corridors. It grows most vigorously in moist shady areas in forests, along streams and urban areas. Once established the herb competes with native vegetation by smothering native groundcover vegetation and preventing the regeneration of trees and shrubs. Vinca minor is a serious threat to the understorey of forested areas and streamside vegetation[].

Known Hazards

Large quantities of the plant are poisonous[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Europe - Latvia to Portugal, east to Ukraine, Greece and Bulgaria; W. Asia - Turkey

Habitat

Fields, woodland edges, copses and hedgerows[, , ]. Ash and oak-hornbeam woods on better soils in central Europe[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.20 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A very easily grown plant, it prefers moderate shade, but tolerates full sun if the soil is reliably moist[]. It can grow in almost any moist soil[, ] but prefers those that are on the richer side[], growing well in heavy clay soils. Plants are very shade tolerant but they do not flower so well in deep shade[, , ]. They grow well under deciduous trees[], and in such a situation can succeed in dry soils[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
A very ornamental[] and polymorphic plant[], there are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is sedative and tonic[, , ]. It contains the alkaloid 'vincamine', which is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a cerebral stimulant and vasodilator[]. Since the discovery of vincamine in the leaves, the plant has been used herbally to treat arteriosclerosis and for dementia due to insufficient blood supply to the brain[].

The leaves are bitter, detergent and stomachic[]. Taken internally, they are used in the treatment of internal bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding and nosebleeds[].
When crushed and applied to wounds, the leaves have astringent and healing properties[]. A mouthwash is used to treat gingivitis, sore throats and mouth ulcers[].
The leaves are gathered in the spring and dried for later use[].

The root is antispasmodic and hypotensive[, ]. It is used to lower the blood pressure[].
The root is gathered in the autumn and dried for later use[].

The fresh flowers are gently purgative, but lose their effect on drying[].

A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh leaves[]. It is used in the treatment of haemorrhages, skin conditions and diphtheria[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

A very good ground cover for covering steep banks and shady places, spreading rapidly once established and forming a dense cover within 2 years that protects the soil from erosion[, , , , , ]. It is less dense on dry or exposed sites[]. Plants are best spaced about 60cm apart each way[].

Other Uses

The slender, pliable stems are used in basket making[].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if possible. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring just before active growth commences[], or in autumn[]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 5 - 10 cm long, early autumn in a cold frame. Roots quickly. High percentage[].