Parthenocissus quinquefolia
An eastern North American native woody vine with palmately compound leaves of five leaflets that climbs using adhesive-tipped tendrils to cover walls or spread as groundcover, turns bright red in autumn, bears blue-black berries, supports wildlife, and can be aggressive enough to damage surfaces if not managed.
Common Names
Virginia Creeper, Woodbine, Five-Leaved Ivy, American Ivy, Victoria Creeper, Five-Finger, American Woodbine, False Grape, False Virginia Creeper, Wild Wood Vine
Summary
Parthenocissus quinquefolia, commonly known as Virginia creeper, is a native vigorous deciduous climber in the grape family that can reach 30–50 feet and climb walls, fences, or trees with tendrils ending in adhesive disks, it has palmately compound leaves with five leaflets that emerge purplish, mature green, and turn red to crimson in fall, and it bears inconspicuous greenish-white flowers followed by blue-black berries, it tolerates a wide range of soils and light from full sun to part shade and is hardy in USDA zones 3–9, it can be used as ground cover or to cover walls, trellises, arbors, or fences, providing wildlife value as berries feed birds, to manage growth, regular pruning is recommended and it should be kept away from painted surfaces or wood/shingle walls because holdfasts can damage substrates, propagation is by seed or cuttings, and pest or disease pressure is usually minimal though beetles, scale, leafhoppers, mildews, and canker may occur, berries contain oxalic acid and are toxic to humans, with sap capable of irritating the skin, so gloves are advised
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
30-50 feet
Spread
5-26.5 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun; tolerates partial sun, partial shade, and full shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, neutral to slightly acidic (pH 5.0–7.5).
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green in spring and summer; turns red, orange, and purple in fall.
Fall Foliage Color
Red, orange-red, orange, yellow, purple, burgundy, crimson, maroon
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast-growing, vigorous, up to 20 feet per year.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Planch.
- Publication
- Monogr. Phan. 5: 448 (1887)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Vitales
- Family
- Vitaceae
- Genus
- Parthenocissus
Synonyms
Vitis quinquefolia Vitis inserta Parthenocissus radicantissima Parthenocissus spaethii Parthenocissus graebneri Parthenocissus hederacea Parthenocissus inserta Parthenocissus pubescens Parthenocissus muralis Ampelocissus cirrhata Ampelocissus major Ampelocissus serrata Ampelocissus tricolor Ampelopsis graebneri Ampelopsis hederacea Ampelopsis hederacea var. minor Ampelopsis hederacea var. murorum Ampelopsis himalayana Ampelopsis hirsuta Ampelopsis latifolia Ampelopsis muralis Ampelopsis pubescens Ampelopsis quinquefolia Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. angustifolia Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. graebneri Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. heptaphylla Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. hirsuta Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. laciniata Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. latifolia Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. murorum Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. radicantissima Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. spaethii Ampelopsis radicantissima Ampelopsis radicantissima var. engelmannii Ampelopsis radicantissima f. minor Ampelopsis radicantissima var. saint-paulii Ampelopsis roylei Ampelopsis virginiana Cissus hederacea Cissus hirsuta Cissus pubescens Cissus quinquefolia Quinaria hederacea Quinaria hirsuta Quinaria quinquefolia Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. murorum Hedera carnosa Hedera quinquefolia Parthenocissus inserta f. inserta Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. hirsuta Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. quinquefolia Parthenocissus hirsuta Psedera quinquefolia Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. hirsuta Parthenocissus hirsuta Psedera hirsuta Psedera quinquefolia var. hirsuta Quinaria quinquefolia Parthenocissus dumetorum Psedera quinquefolia var. murorum Ampelopsis saint-paulii Psedera saint-paulii Parthenocissus radicantissima var. minor Psedera quinquefolia var. minor Cissus quinquefolia Parthenocissus engelmannii Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. engelmannii Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. minor Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. minor Cissus hederacea var. hirsuta Parthenocissus muralis var. minor Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. typica Vitis inserta var. hirsuta Ampelopsis virginiana Ampelopsis engelmannii Ampelopsis hederacea var. dumetorum Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. dumetorum Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. pubescens Ampelopsis radicantissima var. graebneri Ampelopsis saint-paulii Quinaria radicantissima Vitis quinquefolia var. hirsuta Vitis hederacea Parthenocissus saint-paulii Vitis pubescens Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. saint-paulii Parthenocissus dumetorum var. laciniata