Vinca major, with the common names
bigleaf periwinkle,
large periwinkle,
greater periwinkle and
blue periwinkle, is a 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 a groundcover.
Vinca major is a trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form dense masses of groundcover individually across and up to 25 cm high, perhaps even .
The leaves are opposite, nearly orbicular at the base of the stems and lanceolate at the apex, 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 in diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The calyx surrounding the base of the flower is long with hairy margins. The flowering period extends from early spring to autumn.
Similar species: The closely related
Vinca minor is similar but smaller, with narrower, hairless leaves.
Subspecies: There are two subspecies, with geographically separate ranges:
- Vinca major subsp. major - leaf petioles finely hairy, hairs short (Southern Europe)
- Vinca major subsp. hirsuta (Boiss.) Stearn (syn. V. pubescens d´Urv.) - leaf petioles densely hairy, hairs longer; petals much narrower (Caucasus, northeastern Turkey)
Etymology: The genus name probably derives from the Latin word
, meaning
snip, as the long creeping vines were used to prepare garlands. The Latin specific epithet
major means "larger", relative to the similar
V. minor.
Distribution and habitat: This species is found in southern Europe and northern Africa, from Spain and southern France east to the western Balkans, and also in northeastern Turkey and the western Caucasus. These are also found in lower Himalayan ranges in Asia.
It prefers moist undergrowth, woodlands, hedgerows and banks along the rivers at an altitude of above sea level. It grows well in full sun and in deep shade.
As an invasive plant: Vinca major is an invasive species in temperate parts of the United States, South Africa Australia, and New Zealand. It is especially a common noxious weed ´smothering´ native plants and diversity in riparian area and oak woodland habitats of coastal California. It forms dense strands that envelop other plant life and can prevent saplings and shrubs from growing by blocking out the light. Periwinkle moves from place to place, with unintentional human help, in dumped garden waste or as plant fragments carried along in water.
Cultivation: Vinca major is a commonly grown ornamental plant in temperate gardens for its evergreen foliage, spring flowers, and groundcover or vine use.
Many cultivars are available, with differences in flowers, such as white to dark violet flowers, and different patterns and colors of variegated foliage. The cultivar ´Variegata´ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society´s Award of Garden Merit.
It contains the following compounds: vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine and vinorelbine.