Perennials > Vinca > Vinca minor > Vinca minor 'Illumination'
Vinca minor
'Illumination'
Illumination Periwinkle, Illumination Myrtle
| Genus |
| Vinca |
| Species |
| minor |
| Cultivar |
| 'Illumination' |
| Category |
| Perennials |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 6- 9 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 7- 8a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H6 - H4 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-32) - (-7) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-25) - 20 |
| Height |
| 10-15 cm |
| Spread |
| 60-90 cm |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Mat-forming creeper found in shady locations, often used as ground cover. Stays evergreen under snow. Has a habit of growing further than its intended planting bed. |
| Landscape |
| It is great for lightening up dark, shady areas of the garden. It also is an excellent choice for mixed container plantings where it can cascade like golden ribbons over the edges. Vinca spreads by creeping across the ground and rooting at each node that touches the surface. This makes it an excellent plant to use for erosion control on slopes. |
| Cultivation |
| Grows best in partial sun to full shade in moist, well-drained soils, and is adaptable to pH and drought. The foliage will become chlorotic in full sun and the plant may fail. |
| Shape |
| Mat-forming groundcover. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| Pests |
| Phomopsis livella (dieback) can become a serious problem. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Non-woody stems which are slender (2 mm in diameter), light to dark green, smooth, and somewhat glabrous. |
| Leaf Description |
| Bright golden-yellow leaves edged in green. |
| Flower Description |
| Large, solitary, perfect, bright lavender-blue flowers originate vertically from leaf axis and bloom from early spring to mid summer. Pinwheel formation, 12 cm in diameter with a five-lobed corolla. |
| Fruit Description |
| Often unnoticed, small follicle of brown fruit of no ornamental value. |
| Texture Description |
| Dense branching, soft leaves and a fine texture, comfortable to walk on. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Glendurgan Garden, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Propagation |
| Propagate by rooting semi-ripe stem cuttings in summer or crown division. |
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