About Vinca herbacea Waldst. & Kit.
Vinca herbacea Waldst. & Kit. is a herbaceous perennial trailing vine that spreads along the ground and grows roots along its stems to form clonal colonies, reaching a height of 10–20 centimetres (4–8 in). Its leaves are arranged oppositely; they are lanceolate in shape, 1–5 cm (1⁄2–2 in) long and 0.2–3 cm (1⁄8–1+1⁄8 in) broad. The leaves are glossy green with smooth entire margins, and are nearly sessile, with only a very short petiole. Flowers appear in late summer; they are most often blue-violet, and occasionally white, with a diameter of 2.5–3.5 cm (1–1+1⁄2 in), and have a five-lobed corolla. This species is native to eastern and southeastern Europe, ranging from Austria south to Greece and east to the Crimea. It also grows in northern Western Asia, in the Caucasus and Alborz mountains, and occurs mainly in steppe habitats. Vinca herbacea is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant for temperate climate gardens, specifically for use as a rock garden plant.
