Bigleaf periwinkle Vinca major

Features

It is a popular ornamental species in some places. It spread to us from the Mediterranean area, in some places it naturalized and went wild, especially in the area of old cemeteries and abandoned buildings. In some parts of the world (USA, Australia, New Zealand) it is considered an invasive alien species.

Species	Scrubs (Nanofanerophytes)
Living space	Meadow
Size	15-30 cm

Description

Vinca major is a trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form dense masses of groundcover individually 2–5 m across and scrambling up to 50–70 cm high. The leaves are opposite, nearly orbicular at the base of the stems and lanceolate at the apex, 3–9 cm long and 2–6 cm broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an entire but distinctly ciliate margin, and a hairy petiole 1–2 cm long. The flowers are hermaphrodite, axillary and solitary, violet-purple, 3–5 cm diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The calyx surrounding the base of the flower is 10–17 millimetres long with hairy margins. The flowering period extends from early spring to autumn.