Leaf
Alain Bigou, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lesser periwinkle
Vinca minor L.
Also known as: Periwinkle, Dwarf periwinkle
Family: Apocynaceae
10 to 20 cm tall, in a creeping carpet
Woodland, shaded banks, often as ground cover
Flowering: March – May
Full sun
Part shade
Shade
Very hardy, to -30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Evergreen carpet with blue-violet flowers from March — one of the earliest blue colours of the woodland floor.
🍃 Leaves
Opposite, oval, glossy, evergreen
🌸 Flowers
Blue-violet, five petals fused into a flat star
🍎 Fruits
Rare in our climate, small double pod
🪵 Bark
Creeping stems, woody at the base
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, Mediterranean basin; common in open woods and hedges, widely naturalised in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Blue-violet flowers visited by early bees in spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Evergreen ground cover for woodland and shaded banks; very vigorous, glossy green foliage all year round.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Mildly toxic if ingested (alkaloids); traditional use in herbal medicine under supervision.
🌿 Other Apocynaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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