How to Propagate Vinca Minor

Attractive blue blossoms make vinca minor a popular landscaping plant.

Vinca minor is an attractive, low-growing ground cover that is used often to landscape slopes and areas prone to erosion. A native to Europe, it is also called common periwinkle, myrtle and creeping myrtle, and it prefers well-drained soil and partial shade. Vinca minor reproduces vegetatively, through underground runners, and is propagated through layering or rooting cuttings. While many gardeners love vinca minor for its showers of small blue flowers, its vigorous spreading nature has landed it on the list of invasive species in several states. Planting in areas bordered by concrete or grass will control creeping.

Things You'll Need

• Vinca minor plant
• Clippers
• Water
• Powdered rooting hormone
• Pot with drainage hole
• Commercial potting soil
• Pencil
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Cut 3- to 4-inch pieces, using the clippers, from the tips of the plant you want to propagate. Cut only healthy-looking stems.

2. Remove the bottom set of leaves off the cut stems, and cut the end of the stem off just underneath the node where the leaves were. Discard the small pieces.

3. Dip the ends of the cut stems in the powdered rooting hormone and set aside.

4. Fill the pot with moistened potting soil. Using the pencil, make a hole in the soil for each stem you want to propagate. Insert one stem in each hole and press the soil around each stem firmly.

5. Mist the cuttings lightly with the spray bottle. Continue to mist the cuttings daily, and do not allow the soil to dry out. Within weeks the new cuttings will have formed roots and will be ready for transplanting. Test for root growth by gently pulling on the cutting; if there is resistance, roots have formed.

Tips & Warnings

• Cuttings can also be rooted by placing in a glass of water near a sunny window.

• Because of their fast growth and creeping nature, vinca minor is considered an invasive species in many areas. Check with your local nursery center to find out if it would be a good choice for your area.

References

• Natural Resources Conservation Service: Common Periwinkle
• Encyclopedia of Life: Vinca Minor

Resources

• West Virginia University Extension: Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor)