''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'', known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of

flowering A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

vine in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

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.

Etymology

"Parthenocissus" is derived from Greek and means "virgin ivy".Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 292, 324 "Quinquefolia" means "five-leaved". "Quinque" – "five" and "folia" – "foliage", "leaves".

Names

The name "Virginia creeper", referring to one of its native locations, is also used for the whole genus ''

Parthenocissus ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril climbing plants in the grape family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native to the Himalayas, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use, notably ''P. henryana'', ''P. q ...

'', and for other species within the genus. The name ''Parthenocissus'' is from the Greek literally meaning "virgin ivy", and may derive from the common English name of this species. It is not closely related to the true ivy, ''

Hedera ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

''. The specific epithet ''quinquefolia'' means "five-leaved", referring to the leaflets on each compound (palmate) leaf. This plant is also known in North America as woodbine, although woodbine can refer to other plant species.

Description

''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'' is a prolific deciduous climber, reaching heights of in the wild. It climbs smooth surfaces using small forked tendrils tipped with small strongly adhesive pads in size.

Leaves

The leaves are palmately compound, composed of five leaflets (rarely three leaflets, particularly on younger vines, and sometimes seven) joined from a central point on the leafstalk, and range from (rarely to ) across. The leaflets have a toothed margin. Seedlings have heart-shaped cotyledon leaves. The species is often confused with '' P. vitacea'' or "False Virginia creeper", which has the same leaves, but does not have the adhesive pads at the end of its tendrils. It is sometimes mistaken for '' Toxicodendron radicans'' (poison ivy), despite having five leaflets (poison ivy has three). While the leaves of ''P. quinquefolia'' do not produce urushiol, the sap within the leaves and stem contains

raphides Raphides (pronounced /ˈræfɪˌdiz/, singular raphide /ˈreɪfʌɪd/ or raphis) are needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate ( prismatic monoclinic crystals) or calcium carbonate as aragonite ( dipyramidal orthorhombic crystals), ...

(needle-shaped crystals of

calcium oxalate Calcium oxalate (in archaic terminology, oxalate of lime) is a calcium salt of oxalic acid with the chemical formula . It forms hydrates , where ''n'' varies from 1 to 3. Anhydrous and all hydrated forms are colorless or white. The monohydrate ...

) which can puncture the skin causing irritation and blisters in sensitive people. The leaves sometimes turn a decorative bright red in the fall.

Flowers and berries

The flowers are small and greenish, produced in inconspicuous clusters in late spring, and mature in late summer or early fall into small hard purplish-black berries diameter. These berries contain toxic amounts of oxalic acid and have been known to cause kidney damage and death to humans. The berries are not toxic to birds and provide an important winter food source for many bird species.

Cultivation and uses

''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'' is grown as an ornamental plant, because of its ability to rapidly cover walls and buildings, and its deep red to

burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former Regions of France, administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Duke of Burgundy, Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11 ...

fall (autumn) foliage. It can easily be propagated by stem cuttings taken in spring. It is frequently seen covering telephone poles or trees. It may kill other plants it covers by shading its support and thus limiting the supporting plants' ability to

photosynthesize Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in ...

. With its aggressive growth, it can overburden slower-growing understory trees with its weight, damaging them. Its ability to propagate via its extensive root system makes it difficult to eradicate. In the UK, this plant is listed on Schedule 9 of the

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom implemented to comply with European Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds. In short, the act gives protection to native species (especia ...

as an invasive non-native species. While this does not prevent it from being sold in the UK, or from being grown in gardens, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) encourages those that do grow it to take great care with managing it and with disposing of unwanted material. The RHS also encourages gardeners to find alternative plants to grow to those listed on Schedule 9. ''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'' can be used as a shading vine for buildings on masonry walls. Because the vine, like its relative '' P. tricuspidata'' (Boston ivy), adheres to the surface by disks rather than penetrating roots, it does not harm the masonry but will keep a building cooler by shading the wall surface during the summer. As with ivy, ripping the plant from the wall will leave the adhesive disks behind. If the plant clings to fragile surfaces it can first be killed by severing the vine from the root. The adhesive pads will then eventually deteriorate and release their grip. The plant should be trimmed regularly to keep it from growing into areas where it is not wanted. If allowed to penetrate into the wall of a frame house, it will grow upward within the wall until it finds a place to emerge. The roots can penetrate a rock foundation and grow into the basement of an old house, extending long distances in search of moisture, and growing into floor cracks or drains.

Gallery

Image:Parthenocissus quinquefolia20110704 003.jpg, Flower Image:Parthenocissus quinquefolia on wall, November 1, 2008.jpg, Berries after the leaves have dropped in autumn File:Parthenocissus quinquefolia seedling.jpg, Seedling with heart-shaped cotyledon leaves Image:Parthenocissus_quinquefolia_Leaf.jpg, Emerging leaf in spring File:TreeVine.JPG, Thick vine File:Virginiacreepertendril.jpg, Tendrils beginning to twine around a metal trellis File:Kisus.JPG, Fall color Image:6370VirginiaCreeper.jpg, Fall color Cissus sicyoides.JPG, Climbing a building wall Bad Dürkheim Schlossgartenstraße 2 001 2020 10 20.jpg, Covering a building Parthenocissus quinquefoliar Ireland (2).jpg, Covering a wall Parthenocissus quinquefolia London 1.jpg, Covering a fence in London Marienthal (Ahr) - Ruine der Klosterkirche.jpg, Covering a German ruin Parthenocissus quinquefolia.jpg, Trailing from fence to an apartment block

References

External links

CABI's Invasive Species Compendium
at

Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International CABI (legally CAB International, formerly Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux) is a nonprofit intergovernmental development and information organisation focusing primarily on agricultural and environmental issues in the developing world, and the c ...

In USDA Plant Database

Images at
Vanderbilt University website * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q157968 Flora of North America Medicinal plants quinquefolia Vines Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus