If you're dealing with a difficult spot in your yard where nothing else seems to grow, you might be tempted by the promise of an easy, evergreen groundcover like common periwinkle (vinca minor ...

Common periwinkle is a plant native to Europe and the Caucasus, and it tends to creep and spread densely, overtaking the land, according to the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

The common periwinkle creeps along much of Europe’s coastlines. They often fall prey to common shore crabs (Carcinus maenas), which grab them “like ice cream cones,” says Rundle.