Virginia Creeper, Woodbine
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Family: Vitaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal, Variable height, Variable spread.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a deciduous Climber growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 30
Where it is found
Woods and rocky banks.
Eastern N. America - Quebec to Florida and Mexico. A garden escape in Britain.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw. The fruit is not very well flavoured, nor is it produced very freely. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter and is carried in small bunches like grapes. Stalks - cooked. They should be peeled and then boiled. The stalks are cut, boiled and peeled, and the sweetish substance between the bark and the wood is used for food. Root - cooked.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The bark and fresh young shoots are aperient, alterative, emetic, expectorant and tonic. A hot decoction can be used as a poultice to help reduce swellings. A tea made from the leaves is aperient, astringent and diuretic. It is used as a wash on swellings and poison ivy rash. A tea made from the plant is used in the treatment of jaundice. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea and diarrhoea. The fruit is useful in treating fevers. Some evidence suggests the berries (due to oxalic acid content)are poisonous .
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 3
A pink dye is obtained from the fruit. The plant can be allowed to fall down banks and make a spreading ground cover. They are best spaced about 3 metres apart each way. They are very vigorous, however, and would soon swamp smaller plants.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Arbor, Woodland garden. Requires a well-drained moisture retentive fertile soil. Succeeds in most soils, preferring full sun but tolerating semi-shade. Best if grown in semi-shade on an east or west facing wall. Tolerates atmospheric pollution. Dormant plants are hardy to about -25°c, though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. A very ornamental plant, it is self-supporting on walls by means of adhesive tendrils. Very fast growing, though it often does not grow very much in its first year or two after planting out. When established, it can send out new growth 6 metres long in a year. The plant can, however, become a nuisance by climbing into gutters. Plants are very tolerant of trimming and can be cut right back to the base if required to rejuvenate the plant. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring. The fruit is normally only produced after a long hot summer. There are several named varieties. Special Features:Attracts birds, North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires stratifying for 6 weeks at 5°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Germination is variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm taken at a node (ensure that it has at least 2 true buds), July/August in a frame. Easy to root but they do not always survive the first winter. Basal hardwood cuttings of current seasons growth, 10 - 12 cm long, autumn in a frame. Layering. Plants often self-layer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover; East Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Climber
Hardiness: 3-10
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Skin contact with the leaves in autumn can cause dermatitis in some people. The tissues of the plant contain microscopic, irritating needle-like crystals called raphides. Some evidence suggests the berries are poisonous .
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Ampelopsis hederacea. Hedera quinquefolia. Vitis hederacea. V. quinquefolia.