Perennial landscaping plants for easy ground cover
Periwinkle Plant is a reliable evergreen vine grown for fast coverage, glossy foliage, and soft purple blooms that brighten shaded beds. We recommend it for gardeners looking at perennial landscaping plants and low maintenance landscaping plants that help fill bare soil with lasting color. From the image, its lavender-purple flowers and dense green leaves create a tidy carpet effect that works especially well beneath trees, along slopes, and in hard-to-cover spaces. It is a practical choice, but because it spreads quickly, it is best used where you want strong coverage and can keep an eye on its growth.
Key Features
- ✓ Evergreen flowering ground cover with glossy green foliage and purple to blue-violet blooms
- ✓ Useful for weed suppression and helping stabilize soil on slopes and bare areas
- ✓ Thrives in partial shade and tolerates full sun with moderate watering
- ✓ Rapid spreading habit forms a dense mat, making it a strong option for landscape coverage
Details
| Product Type | Live plant ground cover |
| Common Name | Periwinkle Plant |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Light Requirement | Prefers partial shade, tolerates full sun |
| Water Needs | Moderate; can be drought resistant once established |
| Height | 6-24 in. |
| Spread | Over 2 feet |
| Growth Rate | Rapid |
| Bloom Time | Spring, sometimes also autumn |
| Flower Color | Purple, blue-violet, white |
| Growth Habit | Spreading evergreen ornamental vine |
| Landscape Uses | Ground cover for parks, lawns, gardens, cemeteries, hillsides, and other bare-soil areas |
| Wildlife / Garden Value | Helps with erosion control and weed suppression |
| Native Range | Europe, Northwest Africa, and Southwest Asia |
| Introduced Range | Introduced in North America as an ornamental plant in the 18th century |
Periwinkle Plant Details
We grow Periwinkle as a hardworking landscape plant that spreads outward rather than upward. Mature growth stays relatively low at 6 to 24 inches tall, while stems root and knit together into a dense mat that can extend well beyond 2 feet. In the garden, this gives you a floral carpet effect with deep green, glossy leaves and delicate star-shaped blossoms. From the product image, the bloom color reads as a soft lavender-purple, a shade that stands out nicely against darker foliage and mulch.
This plant has long been valued as one of the best landscaping plants for filling difficult spaces. It is often used under groves of trees, across banks, and in spots where exposed soil needs quick coverage. Its evergreen habit keeps the planting looking full for more of the year, while spring flowering adds a welcome burst of color. Some seasons may also bring a lighter repeat bloom in autumn.
There is one honest consideration worth noting. In North America, Periwinkle is considered invasive in some areas because its rapid growth can outcompete native vegetation. That same vigorous habit is what makes it so effective for weed suppression and soil retention, but it should be planted thoughtfully and monitored where native plant communities are a concern.
Family-owned since 1959, we use our nursery experience to help customers choose practical plants that solve real landscape problems. If you need an evergreen ground cover with attractive blooms and dependable spread, Periwinkle remains a proven choice for home landscapes.
Choose Periwinkle Plant when you want quick coverage, lasting greenery, and a dependable flowering ground cover that works hard in the landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
▾Is Periwinkle Plant a good choice for perennial landscaping plants in shady areas?
Yes. Periwinkle Plant prefers partial shade and also tolerates full sun, making it a useful evergreen ground cover for shaded beds, tree areas, and other hard-to-fill landscape spaces.
▾How large does Periwinkle Plant get when used as ground cover?
This plant typically grows 6 to 24 inches tall and spreads over 2 feet, forming a dense mat that works well for covering bare soil and helping suppress weeds.
▾Why is Periwinkle considered one of the best landscaping plants for slopes and open soil?
Its rapid, spreading habit helps cover exposed ground quickly, which can assist with weed suppression and erosion control. It is especially useful where you want a low, flowering evergreen cover.
Exposure
Periwinkle plants thrive in partial to full shade but can also tolerate some morning sun. They prefer dappled light and are ideal for shaded garden areas, making them perfect ground cover under trees or in shaded borders.
Height at Maturity
Under 12"
Usage
Groundcover
Shipped As
Bare-root
Ships
USPS
Planting Zones
4-9
