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How to Plant Myrtle
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.
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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:
- 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.)
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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!
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.
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