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These plants typically have pinwheel-shaped flowers in festive shades of lavender, pink, red, and white. They thrive both in garden beds and borders, as well as container gardens and their low-water, heat-loving nature have made them popular plants for just about every climate.
Do vincas like sun or shade?
Vinca needs little maintenance, and deadheading isn’t required. They do well in full sun to part shade, and can tolerate some drought, although they flower best with regular watering. Check out the top 15 easy flowers anyone can grow.
Do vincas come back every year?
Vinca is grown as an annual. It will often return in following summers from self-sown seed. Annual vinca is not the same as the perennial periwinkles (Vinca minor or V. major) that are grown as groundcovers.
Do vinca flowers spread?
Depending on the variety, fast-growing vinca is 6 to 18 inches tall with a similar spread. Annual vinca plants bear single blooms with five petals that frequently touch or overlap from early summer until the first frost.
Are vinca and periwinkle the same plant?
Periwinkle is also called vinca or myrtle. Of the 12 species of periwinkle, two are popular groundcovers. All species have opposite leaves and single flowers. The perennial periwinkle should not be confused with the bedding plant, Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus).
Are vincas easy to grow?
Vinca or Periwinkle is a prolific heat and drought tolerant annual, perfect for hot, dry areas. It’s easy to grow, and requires little or no attention. Vinca plants are native to North America, Europe, China and India. The plants are grown for its attractive glossy, green foliage, as well as its flowers.
What colors do vincas come in?
Annual vinca grows 12 to 18 inches tall and comes in pink, purple, red, white, magenta, and bi-colors. The flowers are also attractive to butterflies.
How long will vincas last?
Abundant flowers bloom continuously throughout the summer. Summer-flowering vinca is hardy in USDA zones 9 through 12, and is treated in lower hardiness zones as an annual.
Should I pull up my vincas?
Don’t use plastic because it doesn’t breathe and can cause damage to plants when the sun comes out. Vinca generally responds with vigorous growth after being cut back, so if it sustains significant damage from freezing, cut the vines down to the ground and cover with mulch.
Should you cut back vinca?
Shear your vinca back to 4 to 6 inches once more in mid to late April. Cut out any dead, damaged or diseased stems as you notice them until fall. Snip stray or unattractive stems back as needed to keep periwinkles looking presentable throughout the growing season.
Is vinca a ground cover?
Vinca, sometimes also called periwinkle, is a tough evergreen ground cover with shiny, leathery leaves that look good all year long.
Does vinca choke other plants?
Perennial vinca (called vinca major and minor) are trailing evergreen vines. They don’t climb like ivy, but spread low across the ground. Vinca minor, in most cases, will not choke out other plants growing in the area. They just fill in around them.
How far apart should you plant vinca?
Space lesser periwinkle plants 6 to 12 inches apart on slopes or steep banks to eliminate erosion and the need for dangerous mowing. The plants will completely cover the area in one year when planted 6 inches apart. When planted 12 inches apart, the area should be covered by the end of the second year.
Why is periwinkle called flower of death?
Periwinkle, an evergreen trailing groundcover, is a common invader throughout most of the United States. It is native to Europe, where it was commonly known in folklore as the “flower of death” because its vines were woven into headbands worn by dead children or criminals on their way to execution.
What’s the difference between a periwinkle and a vinca?
Periwinkle is the common name for this pretty plant that belongs to the dogbane or Apocynaceae family. Vinca major and vinca minor are shade-loving ground covers, and vinca vine is a trailer with variegated leaves often used in window boxes and containers.
How do you plant vinca?
Vincas are fans of acidic soil, and their ideal soil pH level is around 5.5. Vincas survive droughts well but don’t like wet soil, so give them a home in loamy or sandy soil that drains well. Space your plants 10 to 12 inches apart to promote airflow and minimize the risk of fungus. Mulch the plants lightly if desired.
How long does vinca take to spread?
Sow vinca indoors 12-15 weeks before the last frost. Sow seeds in seed-starting formula and cover with 1/8 inch of seed starting formula. Seeds are sensitive to overwatering, keep lightly moist. Seedlings emerge in 14-21 days at 75-78 degrees F.
Is vinca a trailing plant?
The trailing variety of vinca is a small perennial (in warm locations) with a woody base. It produces a mound of woody stems and glossy green foliage, reaching a height of about 6” inches to 18” inches. It’s a low maintenance trailing plant spreading easily, making to a common choice for groundcover in a garden bed.
How do you keep vinca from getting leggy?
Pinching. Caring for bedding plants often includes pinching. Pinching means to remove new growth at the tips of the branches so the plant does not become leggy.
Do vincas grow well in pots?
Growing Vinca in pots Vinca will do very well in containers and pots, provided that: drainage is good. watering is regular.
Are vinca flowers poisonous to dogs?
The vinca alkaloids known as vinblastine and vincristine are widely used in chemotherapy to treat a variety of cancers in humans and animals. Since this periwinkle contains these alkaloids, if ingested by dogs, they can be poisonous and cause a variety of side effects.
