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Form/foliage
| Virginia Creeper, Woodbine, American Ivy, Redtwig-Creeper, Five-finger Creeper, Five-leaf Ivy, Hiedra, Parra
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Vitaceae
Virginia creeper is widespread from Florida to the eastern half of Texas, ranging north into New England, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota. It clambers up tree trunks or walls, sometimes supported by aerial rootlets, but usually by tendrils having adhesive discs; or trails along the ground in open woodlands and at the forest edge. Its palmate leaf bears five lustrous deep green coarsely serrated leaflets, providing interesting texture to shaded or semi-shaded sites and becoming even more ornamental with its early fall coloration of orange, crimson, mauve and scarlet. Inconspicuous flowers in late summer develop into bluish-black berry clusters relished by birds but suspected of being poisonous to young children. Virginia creeper has been in cultivation since 1622, has many forms and varieties and is known to be salt tolerant. It provides cover and food for birds and small mammals, and its bark has been used medically as a tonic, an expectorant and remedy for dropsy. Quinquefolia means five leaflets.
Plant Habit or Use: vine
Exposure: partial sun shade
Flower Color: green - white, inconspicuous
Blooming Period: spring
Fruit Characteristics: blue - black berries
Height: 30 to 50 feet
Width: 10 feet, spreading
Plant Character: deciduous
Heat Tolerance: high
Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: adaptable
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4
Additional Comments:
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