Creeping Myrtle
Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle) is a plant native to central and
southern Europe, from Portugal and France north to the Netherlands
and the Baltic States, and east to the Caucasus, and also in
southwestern Asia in Turkey.
It is a trailing, viny subshrub, spreading along the ground and
rooting along the stems to form large clonal colonies and
occasionally scrambling up to 40 cm high but never twining or
climbing. The leaves are evergreen, opposite, 2-4.5 cm long and
1-2.5 cm broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an
entire margin. The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils and are
produced mainly from early spring to mid summer but with a few
flowers still produced into the autumn; they are violet-purple
(pale purple or white in some cultivated selections), 2-3 cm
diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The fruit is a pair of
follicles 2.5 cm long, containing numerous seeds.
The closely related species Vinca major is similar but larger in
all parts, and also has relatively broader leaves with a hairy
margin.
Cultivation and uses
The species is commonly grown as a groundcover in temperate gardens
for its evergreen foliage, spring and summer flowers, ease of
culture, and dense habit that smothers most weeds. The species has
few pests or diseases outside its native range and is widely
naturalised and classified as an invasive species in parts of North
America . There are numerous cultivars, with different flower
colours and variegated foliage, including 'Argenteovariegata'
(white leaf edges), 'Aureovariegata' (yellow leaf edges), 'Gertrude
Jekyll' (white flowers), and 'Plena' (double flowers).
Other vernacular names used in cultivation include small
periwinkle, common periwinkle, and sometimes in the United States,
myrtle or creeping myrtle, although this is misleading, as the name
myrtle normally refers to Myrtus species.
NOTE: Above information from Wikipedia