Virginia Creeper


Who's Afraid of "Virginia Creeper"?

Virginia Creeper is a climber.	Green leaves and fruit in summer		Red leaves, blue fruit in fall

Virginia Creeper bears an almost startling resemblance to that itchy favorite "Poison Ivy" That is really as far as it goes. Poison Ivy always has three leaves, and is reflected in the age old quote "leaves of three, let it be". Virginia Creeper generally has four or five leaves, but may also have only three leaves. Fall color of both plants is red. Both plants are freely "planted by the birds", and may be found naturalized on your property. How do you tell the difference between the two plants, and why would you want Virginia Creeper to be growing on your property?

Always three leaves Center leaf stem is longer than other two Center leaf is longer Red leaves in fall Greenish- white berries in fall Causes a red, itchy rash if you touch		Generally four or five leaves or three leaves with no leaf stem Short or no leaf stems Red leaves in fall Deep blue berries in fall Harmless to the touch

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a woody vine native to most parts of the United States. This vine is a very important food source for migrating birds in the fall. Berries ripen to a deep indigo blue in early fall. Birds are normally attracted to red. This vine compensates for the color of its berries with bright crimson foliage often before other leaves turn in the fall. Birds are attracted to the bright foliage only to discover the underlying fruit.
Thirty-five species of birds eat the fruit from Virginia Creeper including thrushes, woodpeckers, vireos, and warblers.