2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Vinca (Latin Vinca) - a flowering perennial, which is a representative of the Kutrovy family. Its second name is periwinkle.
Description
Vinca is an evergreen creeping perennial plant, endowed with the ability to form low, but at the same time very dense ground covers. All vine shoots are covered with shiny oval and opposite leathery dark green leaves.
Vinca blooms usually in spring, and its flowering is quite long in time. Single flowers of this plant are located in the leaf axils, and their color can be either purple, blue or blue, or white or pink. All flowers are funnel-shaped and have five petals - the only exception is the original double varieties. As for the size of the flowers, they can vary depending on the variety.
In total, there are about twelve varieties of wine in nature. By the way, during the Middle Ages, magical properties were attributed to this plant, in addition, with its help they drove away evil spirits, checked for connections with the devil and protected the house from possible lightning strikes.
Where grows
The homeland of wine is considered to be the forests of Central and Southern Europe, as well as the Mediterranean, Asia Minor and Africa. This plant is especially widespread in temperate European regions.
Usage
Vinca is actively used in ornamental gardening. This beautiful groundcover is ideal for decorating rocky gardens, and it can also be used quite successfully as an ampel plant hanging from retaining walls. Vinca will look no less impressive in wide borders. Also, the coating from this plant is excellent for decorating and at the same time strengthening bare and not too steep slopes. And the cut vine shoots will stand as long as there are at least a few drops of water in the container, and if you then try to plant them in the ground again, they will very quickly give new roots!
Do not forget that wine is a poisonous plant, therefore, caution in handling it will never be superfluous.
Growing and caring
Vinca is recommended to be planted in semi-shady or shady areas of the garden, on well-drained, fairly loose and certainly fertile soils. However, this plant is so undemanding that it easily tolerates both the bright sun and too much shading.
Watering this plant requires moderate, so you should not be too zealous in this regard. And the wine is also quite responsive to top dressing - she especially loves leafy soil, compost and humus. And in order for a beautiful plant to bush better, it is recommended to pinch its shoots from time to time.
Despite the fact that in general the wine can boast of a very impressive winter hardiness, in severe winters this plant can be covered with a small layer of leaves (this is especially true for young plants).
Reproduction of vinca occurs mainly either by dividing its bushes, or by dividing it into separate parts of its lash-shoots (together with roots). You can propagate a wonderful plant and seeds. Moreover, during planting between young plants, it is necessary to maintain a distance of twenty or even twenty-five centimeters. As a rule, vinca is planted either in the spring, or at the end of August or the very beginning of September.
Vinca is extremely rarely affected by pests and diseases, and this property of the plant is also very much appreciated by many gardeners.
