Virginia Creeper

Scientific Name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.


Classification: Plantae/ Tracheobionta / Spermatophyta / Magnoliophyta / Magnoliopsida / Rosidae / Rhamnales / Vitaceae / Parthenocissus Planch./ Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.

Virginia Creeper
General Information
Usda SymbolPAQU2
GroupDicot
Life CyclePerennial
Growth HabitsVine
Native LocationsPAQU2

Plant Guide

Alternate Names

Woodbind, woodbine, false grapes, five leaves, American Ivy, five leaved Ivy, thicket creeper

Uses

Wildlife: The berries of this plant are eaten by many animals especially birds. Animals such as mice, skunks, chipmunks, squirrels, cattle and deer will munch on the leaves and stems. This plant provides great cover for small animals because of is thick foliage. The vines provide birds with perches, nesting places and leaf surfaces to find food. Erosion Control: Virginia creeper is used as a ground cover to control soil erosion in shaded areas and on slopes. Medicinal: The bark has been has been used in domestic medicine as a tonic, expectorant, and remedy. The berries have been found serviceable in rheumatic complaints and are found to help cure dropsy. The roots are used for diarrhea and the bark and twigs are made into cough syrup. Ornamental: It is often cultivated as an ornamental because of its fall foliage and to replace many exotic plants. It is an excellent covering for walls, trellises, arbors or fences. It may also be grown on the ground to cover old stumps, rock piles and other “eyesores”.

Description

Vine Family (Vitaceae). Virginia creeper is a native, fast-growing, perennial, woody vine that may climb or trail along the ground. The leaves are compound, containing five leaflets. Leaflets range in size from 2-6 inches and have toothed margins. The leaflets are red when they first emerge but turn green as they mature. In the fall, leaves turn a bright red to maroon color. The inconspicuous green color flowers are borne in small clusters during the spring and followed by small clusters of fruit in early summer. This fruit is a 4 to 6 mm diameter bluish-black berry that usually contains two to three seeds. The vines adhere to surfaces by means of five to eight branched tendrils ending in cup-like adhesive tips. New stems are brownish-green and finely hairy but gradually acquire pale, raised dots and turn purplish-brown with age. Virginia creeper is often confused with eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), however; a clear distinction between the species is that eastern poison ivy has three leaflets and Virginia creeper has five leaflets. The PLANTS Web site at plants.usda.gov contains an image of eastern poison ivy. Reproduction: Virginia creeper flowers from June to August, matures fruits from August to October and drops fruits from September to February. The seeds are dispersed by birds. The seeds usually germinate the first or second spring after dispersal.

Adaptation and Distribution

Distribution

Distribution

Virginia creeper is found throughout the southern, midwestern and eastern half of the United States. The plant is also native to northern Mexico and southeastern Canada from Nova Scotia to Ontario. Virginia creeper can be found in new and old forests and forest margins. It can also be found on the borders of clearings, on trees, along fencerows and streambanks. The plant thrives in partial shade to full sun. It prefers acidic soil, and tolerates a wide range Plant Materials <http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/> Plant Fact Sheet/Guide Coordination Page <http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/intranet/pfs.html> National Plant Data Center <http://npdc.usda.gov>

<http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/>
<http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/intranet/pfs.html>
<http://npdc.usda.gov> of soils from dry sandy soils to moist loamy soils. The plant is also salt tolerant. The species is cultivated as an ornamental in many moist temperate areas of the world. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Establishment

Seeds can be sown in the fall or in the spring after cold-moist stratification. Seeds should be drilled 3/8 inches deep in soil or mulch. Optimum planting is 10 plants per square foot. Virginia creeper can also be propagated from hardwood cuttings or layering.

Management

Once Virginia creeper is well established, it grows quickly. It must often be pruned to prevent it from getting out of control. The species can handle periods of sparse rain fairly well; however, if a drought persists, water the vine every week soaking the soil at least six inches. Virginia creeper can be a rampant grower with a climbing height of over 60 feet and a spread of over 50 feet.

Pests and Potential Problems

No pests or diseases are of major concern, but mildews, leaf spots, canker and wilt are occasional problems, Virginia creeper is sometimes bothered by beetles, scale, leaf hoppers, caterpillars and other leaf eating insects, These pests cause the leaves to be ragged and tattered, Some literature suggests that Virginia Creeper is not poisonous, but the sap of the plant contains oxalate crystals and can cause skin irritation and rashes in some people, Ornamental: If you grow Virginia creeper on walls, make sure you want it as a permanent fixture, Once it is established, it is very difficult to remove, You could damage the wall trying to remove the species, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Virginia Creeper.,

Environmental Concerns

Concerns

Concerns

Virginia creeper will grow up any tree and most shrubs. This species will slowly kill the host on which it is growing, because it prevents the host from receiving an adequate amount of sunlight. It can also crowd or choke other plants.

Control

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist, or county weed specialist to learn what works best in your area. If chemicals are recommended be sure to read the label and follow all application and safety instructions for each control method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to provide specific information. USDA NRCS does not guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective. Below is an internet site that contains control information for Virginia creeper: North Carolina State University http://ipm.ncsu.edu/apple/orchardguide/Herbicides. pdf Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) The commercial nursery trade has developed three Virginia creeper cultivars: ‘Engelmanii’-This has smaller leaves and better clinging characteristics than the species general population. ‘Monham’-The leaves have white variegations. ‘Variegata’-It is less vigorous than the species’ general population, but the leaves are marked withyellow and white then develop a pink and red color inthe fall. Contact your local Natural Resources

Conservation

Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural ResourcesConservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

Fact Sheet

Uses

Erosion Control: Although Virginia creeper has a rather open canopy structure, with its energetic growth and aboveground rooting and sprouting habits this species can be useful groundcover for erosion control and watershed protection, particularly in shaded areas, Restoration: Virginia creeper is a native component of eastern climax forests, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Virginia Creeper., Wildlife: Virginia creeper provides cover for many small birds and mammals, Songbirds are the principle consumers of the fruit, however deer, gamebirds and small mammals will also feed on them, Cattle and deer will sometimes browse on the foliage, Other: Virginia creeper is often cultivated as an ornamental because of its attractive foliage, The bark has been used in domestic medicines as a tonic, expectorant and remedy for dropsy,

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Description

Virginia creeper is a native, woody, deciduous vine that climbs to a height of 60 feet on trees, poles or other structures, or forms a blanket of foliage up to 12 inches high along the ground. Stems are orange brown, finely hairy with branched tendrils that end in adhesive discs. The leaves are alternate and compound with 5, or rarely 3, leaflets that turn bright red in autumn. The leaflets are pointed, coarse-toothed and grow to 6 inches long. Inconspicuous green flowers borne in clusters during the spring are followed by a cluster of ¼-inch bluish black berries. There are 12,000 to 19,000 seeds per pound.

Adaptation and Distribution

Distribution

Distribution

Virginia creeper is found throughout the eastern half of the United States. It prefers moist, well-drained soils but will grow in drier soils and conditions including coastal dune areas. Virginia creeper is fairly shade tolerant, however it is often found along more open clearing borders, fencerows and streambanks. It is also salt tolerant. Robert H. Mohlenbrock USDA NRCS 1991 Southern Wetland Flora @USDA NRCS PLANTS For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

Seeds should be drilled 3/8 inches deep in the fall or, preferably, in the spring after stratification. Virginia creeper can also be propagated from hardwood cuttings or layering. Literature suggests germination rates vary between 20 and 50% with optimum density for erosion protection at 10 plants per square foot. For restoration, partial cover, and wildlife plantings, it is often planted other species at densities of 1 plant or less per square foot.

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Moisture UseLow
Adapted to Coarse Textured SoilsNo
Adapted to Fine Textured SoilsYes
Adapted to Medium Textured SoilsYes
Anaerobic ToleranceNone
CaCO3 ToleranceMedium
Cold Stratification RequiredYes
Drought ToleranceHigh
Fertility RequirementLow
Fire ToleranceLow
Frost Free Days, Minimum130
Hedge ToleranceNone
pH, Maximum7.5
pH, Minimum5.0
Planting Density per Acre, Maxim19000
Planting Density per Acre, Minim2700
Precipitation, Maximum60
Precipitation, Minimum32
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)16
Salinity ToleranceMedium
Shade ToleranceIntermediate
Temperature, Minimum (°F)-28


Morphology/Physiology

BloatNone
Shape and OrientationProstrate
ToxicityNone
Active Growth PeriodSpring and Summer
C:N RatioHigh
Coppice PotentialNo
Fall ConspicuousYes
Fire ResistantNo
Flower ConspicuousNo
Foliage ColorGreen
Foliage TextureCoarse
Fruit/Seed ColorBlue
Growth FormStoloniferous
Growth RateRapid
Height, Mature (feet)1.0
Known AllelopathNo
Leaf RetentionNo
LifespanModerate
Low Growing GrassNo
Nitrogen FixationNone
Resprout AbilityYes
Fruit/Seed ConspicuousNo


Reproduction

Propagated by SeedYes
Propagated by SodNo
Propagated by SprigsNo
Propagated by Bare RootYes
Propagated by TubersNo
Seed per Pound18367
Seed Spread RateModerate
Seedling VigorMedium
Small GrainNo
Vegetative Spread RateRapid
Propagated by CormNo
Propagated by ContainerYes
Propagated by BulbNo
Fruit/Seed PersistenceNo
Fruit/Seed Period EndFall
Fruit/Seed Period BeginSpring
Fruit/Seed AbundanceLow
Commercial AvailabilityRoutinely Available
Bloom PeriodLate Spring
Propagated by CuttingsNo


Suitability/Use

Veneer ProductNo
Pulpwood ProductNo
Protein PotentialLow
Post ProductNo
Palatable HumanNo
Palatable Graze AnimalLow
Palatable Browse AnimalMedium
Nursery Stock ProductYes
Naval Store ProductNo
Lumber ProductNo
Fodder ProductNo
Christmas Tree ProductNo
Berry/Nut/Seed ProductNo

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper