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Last autumn, I wanted to have an attractive ground cover for a deep shade area. So I ordered five variegated English ivies, and planted them - or so I thought.

I noticed some flowers today. Looking now at them, they don't look like ivy's flowers at all. And I realized these are not hederas! Though it looks these plants like shade like hederas, and are evergreen too. I am really mad at the vendor - this is the third time I ordered something, and got a wrong plant, believe it or not!

Can you perhaps help me ID the plants, so that I at least know what I have?

Location is Serbia. Photos are here:

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Assuming that your region has temperatures that go below -18 C, then the plant is a cultivar of Vinca minor, possibly' Illumination' (if temperatures never get below -15 C or so, then it's possibly Vinca major). The plants are evergreen, and both species will spread along the ground, rooting at each node on a stem. A single plant can cover a large area in a short period of time. In some parts of the US V.minor is considered an undesirable invasive plant.

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  • Yes, it is Vinca. I looked at gardenerdy.com/vinca-major-vs-vinca-minor-whats-difference, and, judging by leaf and flower sizes, it is Vinca minor, no doubt.
    – Alex Alex
    May 17, 2021 at 0:12
  • As for cultivar, it looks neither 'Alba Variegata' google.com/… (green leaves with yellow/white edges, but white flowers) nor 'Illumination' google.com/… (yellow leaves with green edges).
    – Alex Alex
    May 18, 2021 at 8:34
  • Could it be that the cultivar is just 'Variegata' google.com/… ?
    – Alex Alex
    May 18, 2021 at 8:45
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    @AlexAlex - It certainly could be Variegata. Illumination may be a cultivar only available in North America. And because V. minor is native to the Caucasus and surrounding areas, this plant could also be a locally created hybrid.
    – Jurp
    May 18, 2021 at 12:16

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