Periwinkle
Periwinkle is an original creeping plant, possessing not only a decorative appearance, but also a rich history. It is easy to grow it, because the shoots of the shrub grow well, forming beautiful cushions of bright green.
Periwinkle flower: features
- The brilliant leaves of the periwinkles are of dark or light green color, as well as with golden spots or edges. Periwinkles are famous for simple cute flowers that grow directly from the sinuses of their leaves. Vinca flowers are composed of five petals.
- Most often they are sky blue or lilac, much less often white.
- Periwinkles bloom in early spring, and then individual flowers can be seen on these plants throughout the season.
- Some species belong to the evergreen shrubs. Their leaves are perfectly preserved throughout the year, even under deep snow.
- The periwinkles form many thin stems that rise slightly above the ground and extend to fairly decent distances.
- Periwinkles easily take root from absolutely any node of the stem and take root everywhere along the path of propagation.
This shrub is widely used in magic. The Celts in antiquity endowed the plant with special properties and called it "witchcraft violet". Vinca were considered plants of memory and the past, eternal devotion and love. In the Middle Ages, the magic periwinkle was ground in the smallest powder and was used as food to kindle the fire of the old passion and return love.
The shrub was often planted on graves as a sign of eternal memory and sincere feelings.
Small periwinkle: varieties and peculiarities of care
The small periwinkle is a small plant that reaches no more than 50 cm in height.
- Aureovariegata is a type of plant with spotted golden foliage and blue flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter.
- Argenteovariegata creates wide low pads (about 12 cm in height); the plant has oval evergreen leaves and light purple flowers with a diameter of about 3 cm.
- Atropurpurea (Purpurea, R u bra) - a plant of the same size as the previous one, but with dark green leaves and pink flowers.
- Gertrude Jekyll (Alba) is a much more compact variety with white flowers.
- Azurea Flore Pleno (Flore Plena, Caerulea Plena) is a widespread plant variety up to about 10 cm tall with dark green leaves and delicate blue flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter.
Periwinkles are simple and unpretentious in cultivation. Green leaf varieties are hardy. These shrubs will grow on any soil (except for those that dry up strongly in the heat). Ideal illumination - partial shade.
To the periwinkle plantation was more magnificent, the plants should be cut after their flowering. Cut off the parts of the stem, you can immediately stick into the wet ground, and they take root.
The most convenient way of propagating a plant is cuttings that simply and quickly take root, if they are sprinkled with earth.
Periwinkles sometimes infect fungi that cause the stems to darken. Of plant pests terrible aphid.
The speed of distribution and growth, charming appearance, practicality, as well as delicate blue flowers of vinca make them popular among gardeners.
Although the shrub blooms better in the sun, it is of more interest as a shade-tolerant plant that can grow absolutely in any area of the yard (except for very dry ones). You can grow periwinkles in containers.
The plant can quickly cover up is not the most attractive place in the garden, and literally in a season to revive the shaded wall of any house. Best of all, periwinkles feel themselves in the bright corners of the garden, growing freely among the trees.
Small periwinkle: treatment with a plant
Periwinkles are useful plants that have been widely used in medicine since antiquity to our time. They contain alkaloids with properties that prevent the reproduction of malignant cells in the body. Today, these alkaloids are manufactured synthetically and used in well-known anti-tumor drugs and immune preparations. Vinca extract is used in nootropic drugs.
Preparations of this type treat hypertension, impaired cerebral circulation and many others. other diseases of a neurological nature: neurosis, movement coordination disorders. They are used for osteochondrosis, increased intracranial pressure, ischemic disease, vascular lesions, schizophrenia and depression.
Doctors prescribe periwinkle drugs for complex diseases of the nose, ear and throat, caused by inflammation and circulatory disorders, infections and even impaired functioning of the central nervous system.
Periwinkle is effective in eye diseases associated with impaired blood circulation.
Periwinkle: photo
Periwinkle is not only an ornamental plant, unpretentious and easy to breed. This is a cure for many serious diseases. Any gardener can grow an original shrub. Periwinkle will give any site a mysterious and beautiful view of the Scandinavian landscape and will be an invaluable contribution to your home green first-aid kit.