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Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering vine in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States west to Manitoba and Utah, and south to eastern Mexico and Guatemala.
You can easily identify Virginia creeper if leaves and berries are present. It's harder in the winter, when the leaves are gone, although some berries may last until spring.
Virginia creeper is considered poisonous to humans and should be avoided. The leaves and berries of Virginia creeper can be harmful if eaten because they contain tiny needle-shaped oxalate crystals (raphides) and possibly other compounds.
Virginia creeper climbs using disk-tipped tendrils and produces small greenish flowers in inconspicuous clusters. Its fruit is a purple to black berry and is appealing to birds. This native North American vine can grow up to 30 feet or higher and is drought tolerant.
Flowers are followed by round, fleshy, berries that mature from green to blue-black in late summer or early fall and persist on the vines. The peduncles change from green to bright orange-red or red in the fall.
Virginia creeper isn't completely poison-free; its berries and leaves can be harmful. The berries of the Virginia creeper resemble purple grapes and contain tiny crystals called oxalate crystals. These crystals are also in the leaves of Virginia creeper.
During winter months, birds are not only attracted to the red leaves, but also to the bluish-black berries that the vine produces. More than 35 species of birds enjoy eating the Virginia Creeper’s berries, including: thrushes, woodpeckers, warblers, vireos, mockingbirds and other songbirds.
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a climbing vine that can provide fall color. Learn how to grow virginia creeper vine and keep it under control.
After producing small, greenish flowers in late spring, the Virginia creeper bears small, dark blue berries that reflect its membership in the grape family. These fruits have food value for wildlife and birds.
Virigina Creeper is a woody vine native to Eastern North America. Scientifically known as Parthenocissus quinquefolia, it can grow upwards of 60′ climbing trees/structures, or as a ground cover in full sun. Blooming inconspicuous flowers in summer that change to berries, it is beneficial to bees, moths, birds, and mammals.