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Vinca minor Atropurpurea

Vinca minor Atropurpurea
Lesser Periwinkle, Dwarf Periwinkle, Small Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle

4,8/5
20 reviews
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Fast and efficient delivery. I have high expectations for this lovely periwinkle with its beautiful colour. It arrived in good condition, vigorous. I planted it under a tree, hoping it will flourish and spread!

Sylvia, 13/11/2024

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

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This small periwinkle forms a very dense carpet of shiny dark green evergreen foliage, flowering in spring with small purple stars. It is a faithful perennial, hardy and fast-growing, which forms a good ground cover in partial shade or in the shade of trees, even in dry soil during summer.
Flower size
3 cm
Height at maturity
20 cm
Spread at maturity
3 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade, Shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -29°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
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Flowering time March to May
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Description

The Vinca minor 'Atropurpurea' is an interesting bush for the deep purple colour of its solitary star-shaped flowers, which stand out well against a very dense carpet of shiny dark green evergreen leaves. This reliable and hardy perennial blooms in spring, quickly spreading on the ground, in semi-shade or shade under trees, even in dry soil in summer.

The creeping periwinkle is a woody-stemmed climbing perennial of the Apocynaceae family, native to central and southern Europe. Common in France, it inhabits woods, hedges, and rocks, or even dry and sunny meadows, and can sometimes become invasive. 'Atropurpurea' is distinguished by the purple to violet hue of its beautiful star-shaped flowers. This plant develops from a creeping base, producing creeping or erect stems, forming a dense carpet 20 cm (8in) high and 3 m (10ft) or more wide. In contact with the ground, the stems produce vigorous roots that allow this plant to continue its lateral growth. The stems bear opposite, ovate, shiny dark green leaves, and produce solitary terminal flowers from March to May, composed of 5 square, asymmetrical petals.

Periwinkles are useful, sometimes invasive, ground covers. They will spread even in shaded areas, although they may be slightly less floriferous. They eventually form thick interwoven mats, effectively covering the ground under trees or bushes, which they are not afraid of the roots of, in rockeries or along paths. They will easily naturalise, alongside Acanthus mollis, Dichondra repens, or Ivy-leaved toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis), in a slightly wild understory. The 'Gloire de Marengo' ivy, with its fabulous cream-variegated grey-green leaves, will make a beautiful combination with the 'Atropurpurea' Vinca minor, in regions where the winter is not too harsh.

Vinca minor Atropurpurea in pictures

Vinca minor Atropurpurea (Flowering) Flowering
Vinca minor Atropurpurea (Foliage) Foliage

Flowering

Flower colour violet
Flowering time March to May
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 3 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour dark green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 20 cm
Spread at maturity 3 m
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Vinca

Species

minor

Cultivar

Atropurpurea

Family

Apocynaceae

Other common names

Lesser Periwinkle, Dwarf Periwinkle, Small Periwinkle, Common Periwinkle

Origin

Western Europe

Product reference73791

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Planting and care

Periwinkles accept any type of moist soil in winter and spring, and they look their best in soil that doesn't dry out, even though they tolerate summer drought well and don't require watering. They thrive in all exposures, with a preference for partial shade. In full sun, in the north, the flowering is nevertheless slightly better. They tolerate limestone and poor soils perfectly. If they become too invasive, prune the stems at the end of winter to limit their growth.

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Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Shaded rockery, Woodland edge, Undergrowth
Type of use Edge of border, Container, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Planting density 2 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade, Shade
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Clayey-chalky (heavy and alkaline), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Ordinary soil

Care

Pruning instructions If it becomes too invasive, cut back the stems at the end of winter to limit their growth.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,8/5
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