Probably everyone heard about the periwinkle. This unusual culture feels comfortable under any growing conditions. Its representatives are able to cover the surface of the plot with a real carpet, where flowers are interspersed in the middle of a green canvas of unusual beauty. But you do not need to treat this plant as a simpleton, because it is able to behave quite aggressively in relation to other crops, forcing them out of fertile soil.

General description of periwinkle

Periwinkle belongs to the genus Kutrovy. His homeland is Asia and North America, from where he came to almost all corners of the world. This culture is able to grow and maintain a green color both in a temperate climate and under snowdrifts of snow, giving the impression of an evergreen plant. They try to apply such tenacious properties and amazing decorative beauty everywhere when creating garden and park zones. The plant looks great near compositions of stones, in the design of alpine slides and rockeries.

Periwinkle is a perennial grassy ground-cover crop whose branched shoots spread along the ground, forming small sprawling shrubs a little more than 30 cm high or a true green colorful veil.

Oval dark green leaves with a length of 3 to 5 cm and a width of approximately 2.5 cm are formed on petioles placed on thin green or green stems with red tint. Their surface glistens attractively in the sunlight.

Did you know? The periwinkle got its name from the word “barva” because of the colorful flowering. But winka, grave grass, witch violet, zelenka, burial ground, coffin-grass, eye of the devil, the joy of the earth, violet of the sorcerer, gentian - these are not all the names that are sometimes called culture.

Large single flowers of plants bloom in the deciduous sinuses. They consist of a corolla with a long tubular shaft and five petals, which have slight separations at the bent ends. The stamen and ovary column are barely visible in the center. The diameter of the flowers is approximately 3 cm. They have a delicate blue, blue, purple, pink color, slightly different shades at the base and edge of the petals.

The flowering period from April to June depends on the type and variety of plants. Periwinkle fruits are greenish plates resembling a sickle in shape, 7 to 8 cm long, in the middle of which oblong rough brown seeds ripen.

The root system of perennials up to 0.7 m long is shallow, located horizontally on the surface of the earth. Caring for a periwinkle is not particularly difficult. Planting seedlings should be carried out in a not very acidic soil, which consists of a mixture of loam with sand.

It should be borne in mind that representatives of the culture are able to significantly expand in width and strangle neighboring plants. Therefore, the distance between them should be sufficient. Trimming shoots and stopping flowers can also come to the rescue.

This groundcover feels better under sufficient sunlight, but will not translate into partial shade or in a shady place. It should be watered moderately. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers will be useful. It is recommended to pinch to improve growth. Only after a couple of years, the periwinkle becomes very frost-resistant, before that, young plants need to be additionally covered.

To diseases and pests, the culture shows a high level of resistance. Perennial propagation is possible using seeds, layering, cuttings, dividing the bush. But this plant is able to reproduce independently.

Video: Groundcover - Periwinkle

Types and varieties of periwinkle

Periwinkle has more than ten species. Most of them have many of their varieties. But not all species are widespread in domestic gardening. Next will be described the most popular of them with names and features.

Did you know? Due to the content of alkaloid components, a grassy periwinkle is able to reduce pressure. It is also used in the treatment of gastric ulcer.

Herbaceous

Grass Periwinkle (Vinca herbacea) gained its distribution in Ukraine and the Caucasus. The most popular among gardeners is its Alba variety, which produces white flowers.The flower petals pointed to the edge have a bluish-violet color. Sepals are framed by cilia. Representatives of the species begin to bloom from the end of May and do this for a month.

Representatives of this species are characterized by the presence of oval or oblong pairwise growing leaves with a green glossy tint on the creeping or slightly rising shoots above the ground. Thin stems do not creep, their plants seem to be scattered in neighboring vines in the form of vines. The foliage has a light coating of small rough hairs. As winter approaches, it falls, but always reborn with the advent of spring.

Did you know? In 2002, Vinca major Variegata was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain. — Award of Garden Merit.

Sadovodov is very discouraged by the fact that the grassy species differs in a certain “arrogance”: when growing, he tries to root almost all the ends of his shoots, turning the flowerbed into a chaotic picture. Therefore, sometimes it began to be used as an ampel culture with cultivation in containers.

Winter hardiness in plants is quite high, but in a snowy winter they are recommended to additionally cover it with dry leaves, spruce branches or other suitable means.

Big

The homeland of the periwinkle Bolshoi (Vinca major) is Mediterranean, Caucasian, Crimean lands. But it became widespread in Europe. This shrub has standing and lodging evergreen, sometimes quite pubescent, shoots. The relatively large matte leaves of the plant are up to 8.5 cm long, egg-shaped, sometimes resembling a heart.

Representatives of the species feel good both in the sun and in the shade. The only thing that plants do not tolerate is bad soil and lack of moisture. Also, they are not characterized by frost resistance, therefore, require shelter.Flowers, lilac-blue color, in diameter reach 5 cm. Peduncle length up to 40 cm. Plants bloom for more than a month, starting in May. The stems of the species during growth are able to root themselves in nodes, creating a continuous coating of the earth's surface. But this happens slowly and gradually.

The large variety Variegata (Vinca major Variegata) is popular. It differs from other representatives of the periwinkle with white-edged foliage, which sometimes can be completely white, and lack of flowers. The variety does not form a continuous coating. Also known is the Maculata variety with slightly outlined yellow veins on the leaves.

Small

Periwinkle Small (Vinca minor) hails from Asia Minor, Mediterranean territories. Evergreen representatives of the species are in the form of short to 35 cm erect or creeping shrubs. Shoots are able to grow up to 1.5 m, creating a dense coating. In places of interaction with the soil, they take root.

The foliage of plants is glossy, the leaves are ellipsoid. Representatives of the species bloom from the middle of the spring to the very beginning of autumn. Flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter

Did you know? It was about the periwinkle Small Legends were composed. With his participation, various ritual actions take place. The fact that the greenery of this plant is able to not only reduce cancer cells, but also destroy them, also speaks of its magical purpose.

This species differs from others in the variety of varieties, among which:

1. Atropurpurea (Аtropurpurea) - a variety of plants up to 30 cm high with lilac-purple flowers, the appearance period of which is from late spring to early autumn.
2. Illumination (Illumination) - a variety that was accidentally discovered in 1995 by Christie Hensler among instances of her nursery. It is characterized by relatively large mottled with yellow blotches of leaves with significant density. The flowers of the variety are standard.
3. Blue and gold (Blue and Gold) - a variety with leaves that are yellow-framed so large that it almost overlaps the green central area. This allows you to create a unique beauty coating, which harmoniously combines yellow-golden, green and blue colors.
4. Sicily (Catharanthus roseus) - a variety of mottled plants with light green foliage and bright colors from purple to red.

• The use of this type of periwinkle in medicine is an indisputable fact. He is capable of:
• dilate blood vessels;
• relieve nervous tension;
• have an antimicrobial effect on the body;
• contribute to the cessation of bleeding;
• have an astringent effect;
• lower blood pressure;
• help with diseases of the eyes and ENT organs.

Pubescent

Periwinkle (Vinca pubescens) came to us from the west of the Caucasus. It is not as common as the rest of the species. Almost not grown at home. This deciduous shrub is characterized by a friable structure, which was the reason for the name.

Has shoots creeping on the ground. The leaves are deep green. Its flowers are dark blue in medium color, up to 3.5 cm in size in diameter, appear in May and continue to bloom throughout June. This is a heat-loving kind of culture, so it should be covered for the winter.

White

Periwinkle White - a grassy groundcover perennial with long and thin stems and dense saturated foliage. All this allows him to form a continuous carpet on the surface of the earth. The flowers of the plant are up to 3 cm in diameter, snow-white, beautiful, and are numerous. Appear on peduncles up to 25 cm long.

The plant blooms profusely from mid-May until almost the end of June. This species basically duplicates the characteristic features of its close wild relative. It differs from it only in the reddish tube-shaped stem in the center of the flower. Feels better on nutrient soils in sunny or shaded places.

Did you know? Periwinkle is such a vibrant culture that even in cut form its representatives are able to live until the water runs out in the vase.

Dwarf

Dwarf periwinkle is a stunted bushy plant, the height of which is not more than 25 cm. The leaves of the plant are green with a brilliant tint. The size of pink flowers is 3 to 4 cm in diameter. The species is characterized by unpretentiousness in terms of cultivation, it feels good both in the sun and in the shade. Moderate humidity and the presence of nutritional properties of the soil are the main conditions for productive growth.

Feeding with mineral or organic fertilizers has a positive effect on the growing process. The plant feels comfortable at temperatures from + 20 ° C to + 25 ° C. Suitable for indoor use. It is widely used in the design of flower beds, gardens, borders.

Among the varieties of this species are particularly known:

• Kiffa (or Kiff) - a variety with mauve flowers;
• Linda - a variety whose flowers have a dark pink color and a whitish central part.

Pink

Periwinkle Pink (Vinca rosea), whose name arose due to the beautiful color of its flowers, refers to evergreens. Representatives of the species have direct branched shoots. Plant height up to 0.6 m. Dark green elongated leaves up to 7 cm long, smooth, have a shiny surface with a whitening strip along each leaf.The flowers have pink, sometimes mixed with white, corollas. The species begins to bloom with the arrival of stable warm spring days and continues almost to the coldest. The fruits of plants have a curved shape in the form of a sickle.

Important! Direct sunlight can cause burns on periwinkle leaves.

This species has two main varieties:

• First kiss (First kiss) - a variety with bright pink flowers, which are mainly located on the top of the bush;
• Remint cooler (Peppermint Cooler) is a variety that belongs to this species because white or cream flowers with a bright red center seem pink at first glance.

Periwinkle is sometimes treated as a mysterious and mystical plant. Most likely this is due to the unique healing properties of the culture and its ability to help in many situations. With all this, the periwinkle is an unusually beautiful plant that can add zest to the design of an ordinary garden plot, open it from a new, beautiful side.