Back to plants
Blue-purple flowers of Lesser Periwinkle among glossy green leavesGround cover

Vinca minor

Lesser Periwinkle

periwinkleground coverevergreenshade plantlow-maintenance

Lesser Periwinkle is an evergreen ground cover with glossy dark-green foliage and abundant blue-purple flowers from March to June. The plant forms a dense carpet that effectively suppresses weeds and is ideal under trees and shrubs. Periwinkle is extremely hardy and tolerates deep shade.

Want to see Lesser Periwinkle in your garden?

1 minute, no credit card

Start free design
Free design

Want to see Lesser Periwinkle in your garden? Make a free design now.

Upload a photo, pick a style, and get a photorealistic design with plant list in under a minute.

See your garden free

400+ gardens designed already

No credit card required

Before
After

Characteristics

Sun
Partial shade, Full shade
Water
Low
Height
10–20 cm
Spread
60–100 cm
Hardiness zone
4–9
Family
Apocynaceae
Evergreen
Yes
Flower colors
blue, purple
Wildlife value
bees

Bloom period

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Care guide

Plant in partial to full shade in virtually any soil. The plant is very undemanding and needs little attention. Apply a layer of compost in spring. Watering is rarely needed except in extreme drought. Plant 5 per square metre for quick coverage.

Pruning tips

Trim the edges in early spring if needed to direct growth. For overgrown patches, you can mow the whole area short — the plant regrows quickly. No further pruning is necessary.

Good companions

Blue-purple flower spikes of bugleweed as ground cover in shadeGround cover

Ajuga reptans

Bugleweed

Bugleweed is a robust ground cover that spreads rapidly through runners. From April to June, dense spikes of blue-purple flowers rise above the dark green, glossy foliage. The plant is evergreen and forms a continuous carpet within a single growing season.

Partial shadeMedium10–20 cm
Large blue-green hosta leaves in a shaded gardenPerennials

Hosta sieboldiana

Hosta

Hosta is the quintessential shade plant, valued for its large, blue-green, ribbed leaves. Light purple or white bell-shaped flowers appear on tall stems in July and August. Over the years the plant forms substantial clumps that give a shaded border a lush character.

Full shadeMedium50–90 cm
Finely divided green fronds of the soft shield fern in a shady borderFerns

Polystichum setiferum

Soft Shield Fern

The soft shield fern is an elegant, evergreen fern with finely divided, soft green fronds that arch gracefully outwards. The plant forms a beautiful rosette and fits perfectly in shady borders and woodland gardens. Mature specimens can reach up to 120 centimetres across.

Partial shadeMedium