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Shrubs

Vinca difformis

intermediate periwinkle

a vigorous, prostrate evergreen sub-shrub with rooting stems bearing ovate, evergreen leaves, and short upright leafy stems with pale whitish-blue flowers 4cm across, in late winter and early spring

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Apocynaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Matforming
Genus: Vinca can be evergreen subshrubs or herbaceous perennials, with simple, paired leaves and solitary, 5-lobed, salver-shaped flowers in the leaf axils
Name status: Correct
Plant range: N Africa & SW Europe

How to grow

Cultivation

Easy to grow in all but the driest soils. Flowers best in full sun but very useful for shady areas. Can be invasive

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or autumn and by semi-hardwood cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Rock garden
Ground cover

Pruning

Pruning group 6

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to a rust

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