Select ground covers carefully

Q. How do I grow vinca vine?

Lillian from Vienna

A. I would rather you choose another ground-cover plant for your landscaping.

Vinca minor, also known as periwinkle and myrtle, is a shiny leaved, semi-trailing, evergreen plant.

It makes a rather attractive ground cover and is showy in spring with its purple flowers.

It is native to Europe and was introduced in North America by settlers in the 1700s as an ornamental plant.

It is still sold by some retailers as an ornamental ground cover.

But it is indeed an invasive plant and should not be grown in the home garden.

Some would argue that this plant is not invasive.

I encourage these naysayers to drive some roads in southern Mahoning County and see the wooded areas where the vine has taken over.

The plant has overtaken our native plant and covers the ground in these areas.

The real question here is, what can I grow as a ground cover? The answer to that question is not simple. The term ground cover in general suggests the plant grows quickly and takes over an area. So most plants suggested as ground cover can become a problem.

Many of these are not completely invasive, but some can be a challenge to contain.

Choose wisely when choosing a ground cover. Visit gardens and parks to see what is working for others. Ask the experts before making a decision.

Consider short perennial plants for borders, versus something that spreads fast.

For a list of alternative plants for ground covers, see: http://go.osu.edu/groundcover. This is the best information sheet available, although some plants on the list are not suited for the Mahoning Valley.

To learn about the invasive nature of vinca minor, read: http://go.osu.edu/invasivevine.

Eric Barrett is the Ohio State University Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the hotline at the office at 330-533-5538 from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays to submit your questions.