These pics were also taken during the run I mentioned in yesterday's post. I had passed by this modest little stand of Vinca minor several times already and kept putting off getting a few pictures of it. Honestly, I thought I'd encounter a better use of this common groundcover...but why put off til tomorrow what you can do today?
As I mentioned, this plant is often used as a groundcover, actually, I think it's only used as a groundcover. And as far as groundcovers go, I rank this high above Pachysandra or Hedera helix. The flowers are pretty in the spring, much more attractive than Pachysandra and it's not likely to take over your landscape (and buildings) the way English ivy would.
That said, it is noted by some as invasive, though I've personally discovered its relative, Vinca major 'Variegata' to be far worse. My folks put some in planters in their backyard once and in the fall, dumped the soil, which contained a few of the variegated vines. They overwintered and began to colonize the backyard. We're steadily removing them now.
Vinca is in the Apocyanaceae or dogbane family. The flowers are fairly distinctive among this family which includes Plumbago auriculata and Alyxia ruscifolia.
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