Vinca Vines With Variegated Leaves

Vinca Major

• Large periwinkle (Vinca major) is also called the big leaf periwinkle, and for good reason. It's the big brother to common periwinkle (V. minor) and is larger in every respect. This evergreen ground cover grows as high as 8 to 18 inches, with dense, 1 1/2- to 3-inch leaves and blue flowers as much as 2 inches wide. The growth habit is upright and open, although it trails nicely when planted in containers. This is the type of vinca is often sold as a trailing accent for mixed container gardens. V. major is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture Zones 6 through 9, with winter protection in Zone 6.

Variegated Varieties of Vinca Major

• The most commonly sold cultivar of V. major is Variegata, also labeled as Elegantissima. It has heart-shaped leaves, green in the middle and irregularly margined with creamy white, which turns pales yellow as the season progresses. Larger garden centers also sell Maculata, which has golden leaves with a green center and red petioles (leaf stems), while the similar-sounding Aureomaculata has the colors reversed, with green leaves with a central yellow blotch.

Vinca Minor

• Myrtle or common periwinkle (V. minor) is a fine-textured ground cover often used under shrubs and in dedicated beds where grass is difficult to grow. It grows 8 to 12 inches tall, with purple or blue flowers in spring and then intermittently throughout the rest of the season. V. minor is hardy in Zones 4 to 9. Periwinkle is often sold in garden centers in large flats rather than in individual pots.

Variegated Varieties of Vinca Minor

• Common periwinkle has many more variegated forms than V. major. Illumination is a new cultivar with a large, golden-yellow central blotch on the leaves. Ralph Shugert has a creamy-white leaf border, as does Sterling Silver. Albo-variegata has white-margined leaves and white flowers, while Argenteo-variegata has white variegated leaves and blue flowers. Aureovariegata's leaves are variegated with deep yellow, and Golden Bowles has golden margins on the leaves.

Vinca Culture

• Both types of vinca vine grow under similar conditions. They grow best in partial to full shade, although V. minor will tolerate sun in the norther parts of its range. Give them moist, well-drained soil and avoid constantly wet sites to prevent root rot. Propagate periwinkle with softwood cuttings or by separating rooted nodes from the parent plant.