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// SPECIES PROFILE · VINE · NATIVE

Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia creeper is the native ivy of eastern North America — five-fingered palmately compound leaves that climb anything via adhesive disks, ripening to crimson-orange fall color rivaling any tree, with clusters of dark blue drupes prized by birds.

// QUICK FACTS
Family
Vitaceae
Group
vine
Native range
E. & C. North America incl. all of OK
USDA hardiness
Zones 3–9
Mature size
30–50 ft (vine)
Sun
Sun to full shade
Water
Adaptable
Wildlife value
Drupes feed ~35 bird spp.; host to several sphinx moths
Ecological role
native climbing vine · spectacular fall color
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Often confused with poison ivy (which has 3 leaflets, not 5) — there's an old rhyme: 'Leaves of three, let it be; leaves of five, let it thrive.' Excellent for masonry walls, fences, and dead trees. Berries are toxic to humans but harmless to birds.

Why it's on this list: native climbing vine · spectacular fall color. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a shaded woodland understory, virginia creeper pairs naturally with: american hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), american beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), american alumroot (Heuchera americana), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), and black cherry (Prunus serotina).

Train virginia creeper onto a sturdy host such as a hedgerow shrub or arbor; combine with low groundcovers below.

Photo Reference

Parthenocissus quinquefolia — habit
// Parthenocissus quinquefolia — habit
Photo: s3alampr3y (iNaturalist, CC BY)

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