An evergreen, trailing shrub, Vinca minor grows in colonies along the ground. The plant has purple-blue flowers and dark green, leathery leaves. Widely seen as an invasive species in North America, periwinkle herb actually has a long history of use in traditional European herbalism for its beneficial properties. The herb can be steeped as periwinkle tea, extracted, or applied in external preparations.

Periwinkle belongs to the Apocynaceae plant family.