Description:
Periwinkle is a mat forming, evergreen perennial with long, vine like stems. There are two main species, Greater periwinkle (Vinca major) and Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor). They have slightly different growing patterns (one’s bigger than the other, it’s not that fucking difficult to figure out) but the active chemical constituents are the same. Neither should be mistaken for Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus, page-) which has similar looking flowers but belongs to a different family of plants. The leaves of both Vinca major and minor are ovate, glossy and usually dark green, though varieties with yellow tinted edges are not uncommon. Beautiful little violet blue flowers sprout from the plant around April to May and are so distinct that the color periwinkle is actually named after the plant. Then again, the color periwinkle is sometimes called “lavender blue” so I guess you’re going to have to know when to pick your battles if you plan on doing any interior decorating anytime soon.
Periwinkle is originally native to Central Europe and much of north Africa. It can also be found growing wild in a lot places in Eastern and Western Asia and was introduced to North America in the 1700s as an ornamental. I’m guessing that after the introduction of Disease, Genocide and some weird shamed based religion, decorative flowers must have been an improvement.
Growing habits:
Periwinkle is pretty easy to grow, and does best in temperate climates. It thrives in practically any soil, quickly forming a medium textured ground cover. When given the right amount of water, Greater Periwinkle should provide complete coverage in about a year, though it’s generally pretty drought tolerant. According to the California Invasive Plant Council, both Greater and Lesser Periwinkle “exhibit invasive characteristics.” This is true. This viny son of a bitch will creep all up in your garden like that tentacally monster from John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. Or maybe something from Cronenberg, I don’t know. It sure does look pretty though.
Theraputic uses: Vasodilator, Memory improvement, anxiolytic
Periwinkle is a vasodilator and can improve oxygen and blood flow through cerebral veins and arteries. This is correlated with it’s traditional use for improving memory and mental cognition as well as a treatment for migraines. This is due to a chemical called Vincamine, an alkaloid that, when isolated from Vinca major/minor, is prescribed throughout Europe for the treatment of a number of cerebral vascular disorders. It also contains Resperine which can reduce high blood pressure
Vinorelbine, a semi-synthetic chemical derived from alkaloids found in the Vinca genus, is used to reduce tumor growth rates. It has an even higher response rate when used in ovarian cancer, sarcoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and bladder cancer. Periwinkle also has mild astringent qualities, drying out skin tissue when applied topically.
I’ve had some pretty good results with Periwinkle, but only when used sparingly and infrequently. Just using a couple leaves of Vinca major in my regular “Focus-Best-Stress-Less” tea (See “easy anxiety remedies” page -) helped me concentrate on cheating my way through Algebra 1; which in the long run helped me get into Stanford that one year. Seriously, fuck math. I can’t think of a time in my life where I’ve had to use an X Y axis or whatever the fuck the Prof’ was talking about (I did not pay attention). Besides, axis? Really? Maybe you forgot what country you’re living in, Einstein, but the last time I checked we fought alongside the allies. Periwinkle has mild anxiolytic properties. Combined with my home-girl Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis, page-) I found that it helped me relax at parties during that time when I couldn’t drink or do any real drugs due to probation, which was complete bullshit by the way (if you’d like to learn more, visit www.chaddintkillthathorse.edu). I will say this though, vinblastine and many of the other alkaloids in periwinkle that are used for cancer treatment are immunosuppressive. So, if you’re not careful, Periwinkle can fuck up your immune system. Shocking, right? I mean, how can anything named Periwinkle fuck up anything other than a six pick of strawberry wine coolers? Well, check out the precautions section below and I’ll tell you. I know, I should just tell you right here but I have to keep some sort of order to this thing or else I’ll look like an idiot. But yeah, I took periwinkle everyday for a month during flu season and I’ve never had the crud so bad in my life; fever to the max.
Chad’s Personal Recipes: Vinca caps
Well, now that you just heard (oh so eloquently) that Periwinkle can “fuck up your immune system” you’re probably not too stroked to start toying around with it. That might be for the best. Now, small doses of the plant are fine but it measures on a level of caution where I shouldn’t just say “have at it kids, go nuts”.
However, they sell Periwinkle capsules on Amazon, so if your still dead set on using this herb then It’s not like anyone can stop you. In that case, I might as well tell you how to make your own so you can save some money and see with your own eyes what’s actually going into them.
You will need: Periwinkle and gel caps
Periwinkle is probably gonna be too bitter for a lot of you greenhorns, so capsules might be your best bet.
When harvesting periwinkle, cut near the base of the vine and hang upside down so that all the constituents can flow into the leaves. Once the plant is completely dry remove the leaves, throw them into a mortar and pestle and pound the shit out of them until you’re left with a coarse powder.
Step 2. Put it in the capsules. This can be a little trickier than it sounds. If you’re into Kratom (Mitragynia speciosa, page-) and all that shit you might have one of those crappy little capsule machines lying around, so use that. If you don’t then get two evenly sized books and put them close enough together so that you can balance the capsules in between them. Take a piece of paper and use it as a funnel and blablahblahblahblah you’ll figure it out.
Depending on what sized capsules you bought, you’ll get pills that will weigh anywhere from ½ gram to 1 gram. Do not consume over 1 gram a day and do not use for over 5 days at a time. Hell, I probably shouldn’t be recommending this in the first place.
Precautions:
And here’s why. Like I said above, Vinblastine and a lot of the other Vinca alkaloids (yep, that’s what they’re called) are immunosuppressive so be careful. Large amounts used over long periods of time can cause Kidney, Liver and Nerve damage. Periwinkle can lower blood pressure so if that’s already a problem for you, well, don’t fuckin’ take it. Do not take Periwinkle before any type of surgery and definitely don’t take it if you’re Pregnant… Could you imagine if I left that part out?
Alright, here’s the thing about Herbalism, not ALL of it is completely safe. Though Periwinkle has a lot to offer, especially in the scientific field, it’s not something you should just take all willy-nilly. Then again, Periwinkle isn’t completely poisonous either. I mean, if you’re just getting into herbal remedies then you should probably stick to the safer stuff. But, if you know your own physiology and got the herbal know-how like your boy Chad Thorogood, then you’ll probably be fine. Just don’t be fuckin’ stupid. I really don’t want to get into trouble over this shit.