Garden Detective

Forest & Kim Starr, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org

Vinca major, or greater periwinkle, is not only a pretty herbaceous perennial, but it's pretty much immune from deer damage. They just don't seem to like it, and that's a big plus, especially for gardeners living in Suffolk county, where deer could trash an entire garden in a matter of days.

Native to southern Europe, the evergreen trailing vine blooms in spring and is almost identical to the more common Vinca minor, which as its name implies, has smaller leaves and flowers.

It does best in sun to partial shade, and makes for a nice lawn replacement in a small area.