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Landscaping with Myrtle: The Sorcerer's Violet

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Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli: Wikimedia Commons

How to Plant Myrtle

George and Becky Lohmiller
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Myrtle (Vinca spp.) is among the hardiest of evergreen ground covers, hardy to Zone 4 and growing as far north as Canada. It can be invasive in certain areas.

Myrtle, Also Called Vinca or Periwinkle

Its bright-green leaves darken with the season, sometimes taking on a bronze tone under the winter sun. Lavender-blue or white flowers appear in the spring and sporadically all season.

  • Spring and early fall are considered the best times to plant myrtle.
  • It prospers in dappled sunlight but will also grow in full sun and even in dense shade.
  • Use it instead of mulch under trees and shrubs to control weeds, or plant it in difficult-to-mow areas. Myrtle’s tenacious root system makes it an ideal choice for controlling erosion on steep banks.
  • Prepare the ground by tilling in a one-inch layer of peat moss or compost and an application of complete 5-10-5 fertilizer to a depth of six inches.
  • Space the young plants or divisions about eight inches apart. When you are finished, soak the entire planting, and mulch the area lightly with pine needles or bark.
  • Water and weed the planted area frequently during its first season. Soon new shoots will spread out and root into the spaces between the plants, spreading joy all over the ground.

Myrtle Folklore: The Sorcerer’s Violet

A thousand years ago, the sorcerer’s violet, what we now call periwinkle, vinca, or myrtle, was shrouded in superstition:

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  • English herbalists believed that the trailing evergreen ground cover could be gathered only on the 1st, 9th, 11th, or 13th day of the Moon by a person cleansed of all impurities.
  • Those who carried the plant believed that they were protected from the devil and safe from the bites of rabid dogs and venomous serpents.
  • The Scots named this powerful plant joy-of-the-ground. They believed that marital bliss would be ensured if the leaves were ground to powder and taken at meals in a freshly picked houseleek that contained worms. (We have a hunch that a lot of Scottish couples endured unhappy marriages rather than brave the cure.)
Landscaping
About The Author

George and Becky Lohmiller

George and Becky Lohmiller shared their gardening knowledge and enthusiasm with Almanac readers for more than 15 years, writing Farmer’s Calendar essays and gardening articles in previous editions of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Read More from George and Becky Lohmiller

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Comments

gaille (not verified)

2 years 1 month ago

vinca came to my garden by accident. It was in a purchased arrangement and I made the mistake of dumping at the back of the garden in the fall. It is now finally gone after years of pulling it out from everywhere. It is highly invasive and if it gets into the forest, I live in one, it destroys all the beauty growing there. Jack in the pulpits, trillium etc. Please do not encourage anyone to plant this vinca.

Xanna (not verified)

3 years 6 months ago

My grandmother always called this plant "myrtle," and thereafter i have always encountered it being called "periwinkle." What is the origin of the "myrtle" name? Is it a reference to its commonality?

Mary Zalba (not verified)

5 years ago

Is nov too late to plant Myrtle in Cleveland area

Sean (not verified)

7 years ago

I am considering planting periwinkle ground cover in the same bed as my azalea bushes. Will it be a problem for the azaleas? Also, I've seen several different sources, suggesting several different spacing lengths for them. I have bare root periwinkle. What is the proper amount of space between each plant?

Periwinkle can be useful as a useful ground cover and a weed killer, especially on an incline or hill to prevent erosion, but note that it can also be invasive in some zones so it may need to be controlled with regular trimming and growing. If you plant, just keep up with it. Don’t let it spread where you don’t want it.  However, you mentioned the same bed as azalea bushes. We would raise a caution using periwinkle with azaleas or other perennials and ornamental shrubs or trees in because it could spread and suppress their growth as well. Perhaps consider hostas or ferns for a nice green contrast that reduces the legginess of azalea shrubs. We also like sedum, especially Autumn Joy. Periwinkle may compete with the azaleas and could stunt them and move on to take over the rest of the garden bed! 

Lisa (not verified)

7 years 3 months ago

I'm shocked at this article promoting the use of this vile plant. So so many people ripping it out. It'll take over everything and be your bane for years. A sterile non native that does nothing good for anything. You'll regret it.

Bette (not verified)

7 years 4 months ago

Will periwinkle plants climbing on the trunk of maple trees kill the tree? The trees are very large and the periwinkle is beginning to spread rapidly. Should I be concerned? Maybe pull it off and away from the trunk and bottom of the tree?

Your periwinkle is unlikely to cause problems for the tree, but if you’d like to be absolutely sure, you can pull the periwinkle back about six inches from the trunk just to give the tree some breathing room. This will ensure that moisture doesn’t build up at the tree’s base and cause rot. 

ron Labadie (not verified)

7 years 4 months ago

our landscaper planted myrtle in two different places, we love it and it is spreading very well, but we have grass growing up in in, and in the one spot a ton of grass, and yes he did lay down cover over the dirt====any way to get that grass out with out having to spend hours pulling it===

Frank D (not verified)

7 years 5 months ago

How do i control all the other weeds around the vinca? Is there any recommended weed controls that won't harm the Vinca, while killing the weeds? This area is a sunny spot