Native to most of North America, from the Rocky Mountains east.
This plant is highly poisonous, its fruit may be fatal if consumed and can cause nausea, adbominal pain, bloody vomitting, and other serious symptoms.
Woody, tendril-climbing vine growing in woods, thickets, hillsides and other densely vegetated areas.
Grows over 30-50 feet long, creeping along the ground, along walls and other objects, or around trees.
Susceptible to numerous insect and disease pests.
Alternate, compound leaves with 5 toothed leaflets which change from purple in the spring to green in the summer and purple or crimson in the fall.
Eaten by songbirds,squirrells, possums and other small mammals.
Grows in all light, soil and moisture conditions.
Hardiness zones 3-10
Sentimental and Symbolic Value
The Virginia creeper is widely considered a nuisance plant, damaging valuable plants in cultivated plantings. It also ruins walls and fences to which it clings. All of this has given it a very poor reputation, and places in which it is abundant are considered run-down, dangerous or otherwise undesirable.
Due to its similarity in both genetics and visuals to ivy, it has taken on many of the same meanings, including marriage, loyalty, and friendship.
In the Navajo religion, ceremonies called chants include a variety of herbs used as talismans or as medicines, depending on the occasion. One such type of chant is called the Holyway Mountainway Chant, which takes place over 9 nights employs a medicinal drink made of P. quinquefolia and other plants.
Specimen photographed found at Lost Lake, Groton, Massachusetts
Plant History and Etymology
The genus name Parthenocissus derives from the Ancient Greek παρθένος (parthénos, “virgin”) and κισσός (kissós, “ivy”), and the specific epithet quinquefolia derives from the Latin quīnque (five) and folium (leaf). It has long been used as a drug for various ailments including poison and excretory issues by the Houma, Cherokee, and Meskwaki, among others. The Kiowa or Ka'igwu people of the Great Plains also used it as a dye. Cultivated as an ornamental both in its native region and in the Old World since at least 1629, it has since escaped captivity and naturalized in places as far flung as the UK, Italy, Lithuania, Australia and Zimbabwe.
Design Considerations
This plant is not considered invasive in Massachusetts, but it is very weedy and should be treated with caution. Its poisonous characteristics must also be taken into account, and it should not be planted in places where children are likely to able to access it. However, if planted with care it can make a very attractive addition to naturalistic landscape or natural screen. It also climbs very quickly, so it can be a good choice for covering walls and fences. It is very resistant to common challenges such as deer, drought, erosion, and pollution, and it has nearly year-round interest due to its large, color-changing leaves and showy black, blue and purple fruits which display in summer and fall.
Sources
Elmore, F., 1944. Ethnobotany of the Navajo. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, p.62.
“BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database.” 2021. Brit.org. 2021. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/2757/.
“USDA Plants Database.” 2021. Usda.gov. 2021. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=PAQU2.
“Parthenocissus Quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper, Virginia-Creeper, Woodbine) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” 2021. Ncsu.edu. 2021. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/parthenocissus-quinquefolia/.
“Parthenocissus Quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper).” 2021. Cabi.org. 2021. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/44676#tohistoryOfIntroductionAndSpread.
“Meaning and Symbolism of Flowers and Plants Found at the Tallac Estates Part II.” n.d. https://ucanr.edu/sites/mglaketahoe/files/287974.pdf.