Flower profile

Greater periwinkle

Vinca major

Introduced in the lower 48

Greater periwinkle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.

24states

4of our state lists

30,220U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina

Quick look

Vinca major, the greater periwinkle, also sometimes called bigleaf periwinkle, large periwinkle or blue periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. Growing to 25 cm (10 in) tall and spreading indefinitely, it is an evergreen perennial, frequently used in cultivation as a ground cover.
From Wikipedia's article Vinca major, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Apocynaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to California, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–June. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 14,669 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #50 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,909 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #93 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,123 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #80 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist

Greater periwinkle gift ideas

Handmade greater periwinkle gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,790 records)

Bloom time in each of our 4 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Introduced	January–June	14,669
North Carolina	Introduced	February–May	1,909
Georgia	Introduced	February–April	1,123
South Carolina	Introduced	February–December	423

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records greater periwinkle in 24 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alexander, Cherokee, Lee, Swain, Transylvania, Wake.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Bartow, Clarke, DeKalb, Elbert, Randolph.

More California flowers

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–August

Butterfly milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa

Native

🌼 Blooms: May–August

Lesser periwinkle

Vinca minor

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: March–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VIMA.
iNaturalist, Vinca major: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Vinca major (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Vinca major (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.