
How to Plant Myrtle
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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.
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?
Is nov too late to plant Myrtle in Cleveland area
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!
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