lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)
(c) Miroslav Marić, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Miroslav Marić · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Flowering plantsIn Greene County, Ohio

Lesser periwinkle

Vinca minor L.

Lesser periwinkle in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Genus
Vinca

Introduced and invasive status

Introduced in Ohio: iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)

Also listed

  • Introduced and assessed as invasive in the lower 48 states

iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.

US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.

Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)

Near Greene County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 4 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (16)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (50)
  • Recorded, season not shown (18)
  • Season shown (4)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
lesser periwinkle by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Athens County97 · Recorded, season not shown
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Butler County135 · Season shown
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Champaign CountyNo qualifying records yet
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clermont County41 · Recorded, season not shown
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County232 · Recorded, season not shown
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County33 · Season shown
Erie County20 · Season shown
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yet
Franklin County100 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga County35 · Recorded, season not shown
Greene County23 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey CountyNo qualifying records yet
Hamilton County89 · Recorded, season not shown
Hancock County29 · Recorded, season not shown
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Highland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Hocking County45 · Recorded, season not shown
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yet
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lake County44 · Recorded, season not shown
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking County23 · Recorded, season not shown
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lorain County41 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas County37 · Recorded, season not shown
Madison CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yet
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Meigs CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yet
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Monroe CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Montgomery County43 · Recorded, season not shown
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pickaway CountyNo qualifying records yet
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Portage County39 · Recorded, season not shown
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yet
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Shelby CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Stark County32 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County179 · Recorded, season not shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yet
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Warren County37 · Recorded, season not shown
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood County20 · Season shown
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yet

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Greene County

Not enough evidence

The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 23 records in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Greene County · records of all species each week, 31,407 in all

Records per week from 23 records in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of lesser periwinkle in Greene County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of lesser periwinkleYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–100097
Jan 11–170049
Jan 18–241137
Jan 25–310055
Feb 1–70082
Feb 8–141190
Feb 15–2100186
Feb 22–2800151
Mar 1–700124
Mar 8–1411238
Mar 15–2111299
Mar 22–2800338
Mar 29 – Apr 433561
Apr 5–1154537
Apr 12–1832738
Apr 19–2522793
Apr 26 – May 2331,090
May 3–900778
May 10–1600721
May 17–2300889
May 24–3000932
May 31 – Jun 600889
Jun 7–13001,186
Jun 14–20001,205
Jun 21–27001,059
Jun 28 – Jul 4001,150
Jul 5–11001,279
Jul 12–18001,164
Jul 19–25001,228
Jul 26 – Aug 1001,533
Aug 2–8001,324
Aug 9–15001,105
Aug 16–2200957
Aug 23–2900942
Aug 30 – Sep 500932
Sep 6–1200992
Sep 13–19001,194
Sep 20–2600870
Sep 27 – Oct 300677
Oct 4–1000614
Oct 11–1700533
Oct 18–2400305
Oct 25–3111307
Nov 1–700214
Nov 8–1411227
Nov 15–2111155
Nov 22–2800110
Nov 29 – Dec 50086
Dec 6–120036
Dec 13–190046
Dec 20–2600117
Dec 27 – Jan 200186

Reported in flower

Only 2 records here show flowers, too few to show a flowering season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported in fruit

No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

In Ohio

Early March to mid-October, middle week Apr 19–25

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 1,938 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 876 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of lesser periwinkle in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of lesser periwinkleYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10656,211
Jan 11–17325,146
Jan 18–24644,645
Jan 25–31424,698
Feb 1–7326,023
Feb 8–141545,888
Feb 15–211145,436
Feb 22–28546,846
Mar 1–72668,321
Mar 8–1440710,384
Mar 15–2157712,620
Mar 22–2894913,949
Mar 29 – Apr 4145819,661
Apr 5–11213826,860
Apr 12–182091039,925
Apr 19–251941041,623
Apr 26 – May 2205956,391
May 3–9105952,952
May 10–1657853,785
May 17–2341957,698
May 24–3023754,651
May 31 – Jun 622753,099
Jun 7–1312753,700
Jun 14–2028756,625
Jun 21–279655,361
Jun 28 – Jul 412658,477
Jul 5–1110461,336
Jul 12–1814564,722
Jul 19–2513769,753
Jul 26 – Aug 110759,416
Aug 2–814659,712
Aug 9–158555,994
Aug 16–2214654,328
Aug 23–2920851,772
Aug 30 – Sep 518857,167
Sep 6–1219759,075
Sep 13–1926854,543
Sep 20–2618845,860
Sep 27 – Oct 336843,180
Oct 4–1037837,841
Oct 11–1722630,824
Oct 18–2422621,156
Oct 25–3121519,021
Nov 1–712614,172
Nov 8–1410612,621
Nov 15–211077,965
Nov 22–28958,136
Nov 29 – Dec 51386,083
Dec 6–12556,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26325,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2948,459

Reported in flower

Usually reported in flower mid-March to mid-May, middle week Apr 12–18.

From 199 records that show flowers. Not every photo of a plant in flower is marked as flowering, so this shows when people reported it in flower, not when it flowers.

Reported in fruit

No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • greater periwinkle Vinca majorOften confused in Ohio: 41 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • fortune's spindle Euonymus fortuneiOften confused in Ohio: 37 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • blue phlox Phlox divaricataOften confused in Ohio: 10 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Eastern Teaberry Gaultheria procumbens59 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • partridgeberry Mitchella repens28 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed63%49%
Forest33%31%
Wetland2%5%
Farmland2%11%
Open water0.3%3%
Barren0.1%0.6%
Grassland and shrub0.1%0.9%

From 1,346 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

1,938 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.