Sweet Woodruff or Periwinkle?

12 years ago

I have a large hosta border and I want to plant something under it. Has anyone tried Sweet Woodruff or Periwinkle with hostas before? Pros or cons that you could see to either? Thank you!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

Eleven
12 years ago
I'm in Metro Detroit, and so far, the squirrels have eaten all the Sweet Woodruff I planted for three years. They seemed to leave it alone last year, but I'm honestly not sure if the stuff grew ANY over the summer.

I found lots of Periwinkle (I assume you mean vinca minor?) taking over the garden here. It created a solid mat of greenery around the existing hostas and attached itself to all rocks and shrubbery in its path. Since the garden had only been neglected a couple years, I don't know what could happen long term. It's too vigorous for me to want in most of my hosta beds.

For tall hostas, I actually like Canadian Wild Ginger as an underplanting. For small hostas, I have some Buglewood and Dwarf Crested Iris that survive just fine.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
two MI peeps i have never seen before.. may as well make it 3 in a row ....

my experience with vinca is that usually gets to be pretty aggressive ... over the decades.. and may eventually choke out other things ... and not easy to train ...

i dont know about SW.. but its a woodland plant.. and probably pretty easy going .... and easily managed ...

if you are seeing too much ground .. perhaps you need some bigger hosta???? or need to adapt your spacing .... if you were to provide some pix.. in a new post.. we might be able to offer some suggestions ....

ken
Related Discussions
Suggestions for the north side of my house?
Q
Comments (5)
---Ever considered building a graduated retaining wall planter box to level out the brick/block line along the front?--- Everybody in the neighborhood has that, which is a plus / minus. I'm trying to level it a bit bed by bed without having to build the 6" keystone wall stair-step effect. One neighbor has a 6 - 8' high "turret" on the corner of his house. I don't care for it, but I could easily replicate it on my lot :) ---I think one thing that has to be considered is that empty is not always ugly.--- I agree, but I am worried about the transition around the corner - I want full beds that sweep out into the front yard, and I don't want it to look like I forgot one side of my house. Maybe keeping the gate and making the pathway back there more obvious is a better solution. ---I do think your solution, has to match a bit with what is done at the front, if only in terms of the type of plant used--- The corner made with the north side of the porch in the front is also very shady. I think I can stick ^whatever goes in along the north side and grows well^ in that space as well. A big expanse of - nothing - is better than a little row of squared-off evergreen shrubs running down the side of the house to me. I need to get my head out of the tall, skinny, shade-loving rut.
...See More
Sweet woodruff not so sweet..what's the prob?
Q
Comments (1)
I am thinking it needs much more sun.... even in my arid conditions it needs some sun.
...See More
Sweet Woodruff looking shabby
Q
Comments (9)
I have some growing in my greenhouse and some in my yard. I do not water the plants in my yard and they are in the shade. I have mints, roses and Primrose blocking the direct sun in the morning. These plants are doing great. Good color and flowers. The ones in my greenhouse are not so good. They are drying out, thinning and not as green. I water the plants 2 to 3 times a week. This section of my greenhouse is considered my wooded area. They have the following plants around them: Ginseng, Goldenseal, Chives, Wintergreen, Lobelia, Cat's Claw, Blood Root and Wild Ginseng. I have blocked the amount of sun this area gets but I think it gets to much sun and not enough water sometimes. I have even grown the plants in direct sun in the first setting I discribed and they did good enough I sold some of them. However, it was just the morning sun and than the house blocked the sun after about 1 pm. Walter Lemons seagle52@insightbb.com
...See More
Groundcover -- owner believes it's a form of Sweet Woodruff??
Q
Comments (6)
Wow -- absolutely right on! Thank you!! Definitely not natives of New England... good to know. The foliage is quite attractive -- I'm going to ask the owner if she's ever seen them in bloom (they do go to Florida for the winter months so I suppose it's possible the bloom is over before they return in late spring?) It sounds like a perfectly lovely spring bloomer! Thanks so much for the ID...
...See More
in ny zone5
12 years ago
I once planted 3 little plants of vinca, and years later woke up that they were trying to take over my backyard. I almost have them all removed. Actually while using weedkiller I also killed 2 azaleas. Now I noticed a dense colony of escapees in neighbor's yard and they try to come back to conquer, so war this spring!
All running groundcovers, once established will try conquering your garden. Creeping Jenny is another threat.
Bernd
paul_in_mn
12 years ago
Sweet Woodruff needs shade and will fill out fairly quickly - find someone with it in their garden and get a 4" pot or two. In a couple of years you will have plenty.

I quartered a 4" pot in 06. Below is pic in 08 and last year +++++ I have 3 other areas similar or smaller from that single 4" pot.

Vinca, I agree with Ken that it can mat a bit. Also, I've heard to keep it away from the lawn.

Paul

Related Stories

GROUND COVERS Native Alternatives to English Ivy, Japanese Pachysandra and Periwinkle

By Curtis Adams

These shade-loving ground covers are good for the environment and say something about where you are

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Sweet Serendipity: Opening to Happy Garden Discoveries

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Unplanned nature scenes can be unbelievably beautiful; you just need to know how to look

Full Story

COLOR 11 Pretty Sweet Decorating Ideas Using Pastels

By Natasha Saroca

Go ahead, be a softie. When you use powdery shades right, they go beyond child’s play into the realm of chic

Full Story

By Paintbox Garden

Create enchanting outdoor spots with fresh white fences, florals and furniture

Full Story

COLOR Inspired by Peeps: A Sliding Scale of Pastels

By Lily Gahagan

Opt For Just a Little or Go All Out With Pinks, Yellows and Light Blues

Full Story

COLORS OF THE YEAR Pantone Has Spoken: Rosy and Serene Are In for 2016

By Jennifer Ott Design

For the first time, the company chooses two hues as co-colors of the year

Full Story

441

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Create a Beautiful Shade Garden

By Falon Mihalic

Turn the cool, shady spot in your garden into your own quiet oasis

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Get Along With Less Lawn — Ideas to Save Water and Effort

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Ditch the mower and lower your water bill while creating a feast for the eyes with diverse plantings and gathering places

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 7 Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Turf isn't the only ground cover in town. Get a lush no-grass lawn with clover, moss and other easy-care plants

Full Story

GROUND COVERS Ground Force: 10 Top Ground Covers for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers

Full Story

105

Sweet Woodruff or Periwinkle?

Comments (4)

Eleven

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Related Discussions

in ny zone5

paul_in_mn

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US