Is Periwinkle deer resistant?
Vinca minor
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Periwinkle
Evergreen, shade-tolerant and effective at covering ground, which is why it was planted so widely and why it is now a problem across much of the eastern United States. It escapes gardens into woodland and forms a dense mat that stops tree seedlings regenerating. Several states list it. Check before planting, and if you have it already, know that it spreads by rooting at every node, so pulling it out means getting every fragment. Deer browse it lightly, mostly in winter. If you want an evergreen shade carpet without the ecological cost, Siberian cypress and Allegheny spurge both do the job and neither runs.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Average garden soil
- Water
- Moderate
- Fertility
- Low
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Drought
- Moderate
- Salt
- Low
- Pollinators
- Low
- Evergreen
- Containers
- Erosion control
What to plant it with
Keep apart from
- Coral Bells
Vinca spreads aggressively and will smother a clumping perennial within two seasons.
Similar to Periwinkle
Other groundcovers with the same deer rating.
Where Periwinkle grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Periwinkle belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Periwinkle
- Is Periwinkle deer resistant?
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Periwinkle grow in?
- Periwinkle is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Periwinkle grow in shade?
- Yes. Periwinkle tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Periwinkle get?
- Mature height is roughly 3–6 in. Growth rate is fast.
- When does Periwinkle bloom?
- Periwinkle flowers from April–May.
- Is Periwinkle invasive?
- Periwinkle is listed as invasive or restricted in OR, WA, KY, TN, MO, IN. Deer leaving it alone is not a reason to plant it. Check your own state before buying.