Arizona Wild Flowers
Wildflower Pictures, Photos, And Information.

Myrtle, Vinca major

Myrtle, Vinca major. Photo Taken: April 24, 2009. Yarnell, Arizona. Shrine Of Saint Joseph.
Myrtle, Vinca major. Photo Taken: April 24, 2009. Yarnell, Arizona. Shrine Of Saint Joseph.
Myrtle, Vinca major. Photo Taken: April 24, 2009. Yarnell, Arizona. Shrine Of Saint Joseph.
Myrtle, Vinca major. Photo Taken: April 24, 2009. Yarnell, Arizona. Shrine Of Saint Joseph.

Myrtle Vinca major, Dogbane Family: ( Apocynaceae ), Myrtle. Also called: Large Periwinkle, Big Periwinkle. Myrtle or Big Periwinkle is a fast growing herbaceous perennial groundcover with evergreen foliage and interesting blue flowers. It has become invasive in higher elevations. The stems of Myrtle can reach about 12 inches in height, but they then fall over and spread indefinitely, rooting at the nodes as they cover the ground with shiny dark green foliage. They have blue-violet, funnel shaped with five petals and about 2 inches across. Big periwinkle blooms in the spring and sporadically throughout the summer. Vinca major is invasive in riparian (streambank) areas in Arizona and other Western US states. It displaces native species, it is also a host for many insect pests including the blue-green and glassy-winged sharpshooters, which carry Peirce's disease, a pathogen of vineyards and orchards. Height: Evergreen growing to about 12 inches tall and 60 inches wide. Flowers: The flowers are in leaf axils with 2 - 3 inche long funnel-shaped purple or blue flowers. Blooming Time: Mid March - November. Leaves: Pairs opposite each other along the stems; they are 2 - 3 inches long and oval or heart shaped. Found: Native to France and Italy, and eastward through the Balkans to northern Asia Minor and the western Caucasus. Elevation: 0 - 2500 Feet. Habitat: Alkaline, well-drained/light soils. An ideal landscape plant in Arizona. Native of mexico and the SW USA. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photo Taken: April 24, 2009. Yarnell, Arizona. Shrine Of Saint Joseph.