My shiny leaves are here year-round,
I’m an evergreen plant blanketing the ground.
Lying in wait for winter to be done,
When my purple flowers will bloom in the sun!
Even without characteristic purple pinwheel flowers in the winter, the waxy leaves and vine-like stems of Small or Common Periwinkle are still easy to identify. This invasive, while very popular with many gardeners as a groundcover, is an aggressive spreader that decrease the fitness of their neighbouring plant communities.
Small Periwinkle is native to Eurasia and was introduced to North America in the 1700s as an ornamental garden plant. This species, however, quickly escapes the confines of garden beds and spreads to nearby areas. Small Periwinkle prefers moist, shaded areas but is adaptable to various growing conditions. It can often be found along waterways, in forested areas, and on roadsides.
During the summer, Periwinkle is easy to spot because of its pale blue to lavender 5-petaled pinwheel flowers. While the flowers may not be present in winter, Periwinkle is still easily recognizable by its shiny, leathery green leaves. The leaves can grow 3 – 9cm long and are very narrow. They are arranged opposite each other down the smooth, round stems that reach 10 – 60cm.
Small Periwinkle reproduces mainly vegetatively but with some seed reproduction. The stems and stolons, or specialized roots, give rise to new individuals, making this species an expert spreader. Periwinkle remains a very popular garden plant, with many plant shops continuing to sell it (despite our best efforts to convince them otherwise) and thus encouraging its spread.
Small Periwinkle’s extreme shade tolerance and ability to cover ground make it attractive to gardeners. However, this species quickly escapes garden beds and spreads into nearby areas. Left unchecked, Periwinkle outshades and kills off other nearby plants, decreasing local biodiversity and reducing habitat and food availability for local wildlife.
Small Periwinkle is easily confused with fellow invasive Large Periwinkle. These two species are very closely related and have many of the same environmental impacts. However, as their names suggest, Larger Periwinkle has slightly larger leaves and flowers than Small Periwinkle, and has slightly paler flowers.
Per SSISC’s Invasive Plants Priority List, Small Periwinkle is listed as a species to strategically control in Squamish, to contain in Whistler, and is on the Prevention Watchlist in Pemberton. We rely heavily on reports from the public to understand the current distribution of plants in the Sea to Sky and prevent their spread. With that in mind, we invite you to keep your eyes peeled for Small Periwinkle and report any sightings.
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