FFF148 - PERIWINKLE

Vinca major, with the common names bigleaf periwinkle, large periwinkle, greater periwinkle and blue periwinkle, is species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to the western Mediterranean. Growing to 25 cm tall and spreading indefinitely, it is an evergreen perennial, frequently used in cultivation as ground-cover.

The genus name probably derives from the Latin word vincire, meaning bind, as the long creeping vines were used to prepare garlands. The species name major refers to the larger size in respect of the similar Vinca minor L.
Vinca major is a trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form dense masses of ground-cover individually 2–5 m across and scrambling up to 50–70 cm high. The leaves are opposite, nearly orbicular at the base of the stems and lanceolate at the apex, 3–9 cm long and 2–6 cm broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an entire but distinctly ciliate margin, and a hairy petiole 1–2 cm long.

The flowers are hermaphrodite, axillary and solitary, violet-purple, 3–5 cm diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The calyx surrounding the base of the flower is 10–17 millimetres long with hairy margins. The flowering period extends from early spring to autumn. Vinca major is a commonly grown ornamental plant in temperate gardens for its evergreen foliage, spring flowers, and ground-cover or vine use. Many cultivars are available, with differences in flowers, such as white to dark violet flowers, and different patterns and colours of variegated foliage. The cultivar 'Variegata' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

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