Periwinkle Vinca minor


Vinca minor
Periwinkle flowers and foliage
  • Common Names
  • Periwinkle , lesser periwinkle, myrtle
  • Botanical Name
  • Vinca minor
  • Syn. Vinca major
  • Family
  • APOCYNACEAE
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Medicinal Uses & Benefits of Periwinkle

remedyHow to Use| Side Effects | Plant & Garden| Folklore

How to Use: Periwinkle


The leaves, and seeds of the periwinkle contain vincamine, a precursor to the chemical vinpocetine, which is used medicinally to naturally enhance memory in aging minds.1,2 Vincamine is sold as a chemical extract in supplement form, however herbalists prefer the whole herb be used in either extract or tea form. By using the whole herb you receive the balanced blend of healing chemicals found naturally occurring in the plant. Other folk medicine uses include Diabetes, cough medicine, and as a styptic to stop bleeding.

Preparation Methods & Dosage :Teas, tinctures, supplements


Periwinkle Side Effects: Using periwinkle in the whole herb form does not pose a danger of interaction with blood thinners, however taking isolated extracts of vincamine and the chemical drug vinpocetine can pose risks and are not suited to unsupervised long term use. 1

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Plant Description


The flowers of the garden periwinkle are the inspiration of the lavender blue color name periwinkle, and this viny shrub is a popular and attractive ground cover with numerous cultivars,flower colours and variegated foliage.

Regional Traditions :European *

Related Species Vinca rosea Syn. Catharanthus roseus Madagascar Periwinkle is an endangered species native to madagascar that was used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat numerous diseases, including diabetes,


History and Traditions & Folklore

Periwinkle has been used in the tradition medicine of many cultures and peoples worldwide including Europe, China, India and the Pacific and Caribbean Islands.
In the Caribbean, practitioners of voodoo magic sew Periwinkle leaves into the mattress to keep husband and wife forever in love, and the home peaceful. They are sometimes mixed with magnolia leaves, which also have a reputation of promoting faithfulness in love. The blue flowers of periwinkle are symbolic of spiritual peace and harmony. Catherine Yronwode Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic: A Materia Magica of African-American Conjure, and Traditional Formulary (2002).

Venus owns this herb, and saith, That the leaves eaten by man and wife together, cause love between them. The Periwinkle is a great binder, stays bleeding both at mouth and nose, if some of the leaves be chewed. The French used it to stay women's courses. Dioscorides, Galen, and Ægineta, commend it against the lasks and fluxes of the belly to be drank in wine.
Nicholas Culpeper, 1653

References:
books citedWorks Cited
  1. . Vincamine article at NIH.gov , , (): The health benefits of vincamine and related compounds, which are sold as drugs in Europe, relate to the treatment of primary degenerative and vascular dementia. As a dietary supplement, vincamine is promoted as a nootropic.,
  2. HerbalGram . Evidence of Benefits from Herbal Preparations for Improving Cognition and Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in the Elderly , , (04-30-2012): Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor) aerial plant and its synthetic alkaloid vinpocetine have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain. Vinpocetine may be able to enhance cognition in patients with dementia, and enhanced memory and learning in patients with vascular dementia.,