Add rich color and year-round greenery to your landscape with Vinca minor 'Merlot', a beautiful evergreen groundcover featuring glossy deep green foliage and striking burgundy-purple flowers. Blooming heavily in spring with additional flowers appearing throughout summer and fall, this vigorous perennial quickly forms a dense, weed-suppressing carpet in shaded garden spaces.

Its trailing, mat-forming habit makes it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, under trees, slopes, borders, retaining walls, and containers. Once established, Vinca 'Merlot' is exceptionally drought tolerant, deer resistant, and requires very little maintenance, making it a dependable solution for difficult landscape areas.

Perfect for gardeners seeking an attractive evergreen groundcover with colorful seasonal blooms, this hardy perennial provides beauty in every season.

Key Features

• Evergreen groundcover
• Rich burgundy-purple spring flowers
• Glossy deep green foliage
• Fast-spreading mat-forming habit
• Excellent weed suppressant
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant once established
• Low-maintenance perennial
• Ideal for shade gardens
• Great for erosion control

Plant Details

Botanical Name: Vinca minor 'Merlot'

Common Name: Burgundy Periwinkle, Wine Periwinkle

Plant Type: Evergreen Perennial

Foliage Color: Deep Green

Flower Color: Burgundy Purple

Bloom Season: Spring with Sporadic Summer & Fall Blooms

Mature Height: 4–6 Inches

Spread: 12–24 Inches

Growth Habit: Trailing, Mat-Forming

Light Requirements: Part Shade to Full Shade (Tolerates Morning Sun)

Water Needs: Low to Moderate

Soil Requirements: Well-Drained Soil

Hardiness Zones: USDA 4–9

Characteristics: Evergreen, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Fast Growing, Erosion Control, Low Maintenance

Garden Uses

Perfect for:

• Woodland gardens
• Shade gardens
• Groundcover
• Under trees
• Slopes and banks
• Border edging
• Rock gardens
• Retaining walls
• Containers
• Weed suppression

Planting Partners

Pairs beautifully with:

• Hosta
• Heuchera
• Ferns
• Lamium
• Ajuga
• Carex
• Brunnera
• Pulmonaria
• Epimedium
• Liriope

Care Tips

• Plant in well-drained soil with moderate moisture.
• Performs best in part shade to full shade.
• Water regularly during establishment.
• Trim runners occasionally to control spread.
• Mulch around new plants to retain moisture.
• Once established, requires minimal supplemental watering.