Eastern Forest Threat Center - Bigleaf Periwinkle

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Bigleaf periwinkle in April

Bigleaf periwinkle in April

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Bigleaf Periwinkle
Vinca major

Bigleaf periwinkle was introduced into the U.S. from Europe in the 1700s. It is commonly sold and planted by gardeners for use as an ornamental ground cover.

Keywords: Apocynaceae, evergreen, semievergreen, vine, trailing, scrambling, glossy leaves, pinwheel-like flower petals, rooting at nodes, mat forming

Distribution Map Distribution Source Image

Threat Description

Bigleaf periwinkle is an evergreen to semievergreen vine that can grow upright to 1 ft. in height or can trail or scramble to 3 ft. in length. Leaves are opposite, glossy, hairless, somewhat thick, triangular to elliptic, 1.5 to 2.5 in. long, and 1 to 1.5 in. wide. Blades are dark green with whitish lateral and midveins above and lighter green with whitish midveins beneath. Its smooth, stout stem is succulent becoming somewhat woody. The stem has flowering branches that are erect and jointed at the axils. Flowers, which occur from April to May and sporadically from May to September, are axillary, usually solitary, and violet to blue lavender. They have five petals radiating pinwheel-like at right angles from the floral tube and are 1.5 to 2 in. wide. Slender, cylindrical fruit up to 2 in. long appears from May to July. Fruits become dry and split open to release 3 to 5 seeds, the viability of which has yet to be reported. Bigleaf periwinkle vines root at the nodes. It is often found around old homesite plantings and scattered in open to dense canopied forests, where it forms mats and extensive infestations.