Periwinkle Tincture & Alcohol-Free Extract

Periwinkle (Vinca major), the greater periwinkle, is a trailing evergreen of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, native to the western Mediterranean from Spain and France to Italy and North Africa, and widely planted as a ground cover elsewhere. Its long arching stems root where they touch the soil, carrying glossy, broadly oval dark-green leaves and violet-blue, five-petaled flowers about 4-5 cm across from early spring. The herb has a bitter, astringent taste. It is distinct from the smaller Vinca minor and from Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus. We extract the dried herb.