Parthenocissus Climbing Vines: Virginia Creeper and Boston Ivy

Novice gardeners may be forgiven for getting confused about the plant known as parthenocissus. It sprawls as a shade groundcover in one garden, up a sunny wall trellis in the next. Sometimes it grows as a native American woodland plant; other times it graces the walls of “Ivy League” academia. The two most popular species have confusing names as well: Virginia creeper, also called American ivy, and Boston ivy, also called Japanese creeper. But these close cousins in a family of climbing vine plants are well worth getting to know a bit better.

Parthenocissus, Climbing Vine Plants

These two plants, Virginia creeper and Boston ivy, are often referred to just as parthenocissus in gardening books. Even when the species names are added, confusion may still reign. For the new garden enthusiast, the scientific name, Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) is a mouthful; Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston ivy) is hardly any easier.

Pathenocissus is a genus of climbing vine plants which are perennial and deciduous (losing their leaves in autumn). They have woody stems which climb upwards or trail along the ground, preferring moist fertile soils. They attach themselves to surfaces by means of tendrils and adhesive disks. It’s no surprise to gardeners who know parthenocissus that it forms part of the aggressive grape family.

Learning a bit more about Virginia creeper and Boston ivy shows that these plants although similar, have different origins and characteristics.

Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia

This plant is also known as American ivy, woodbine, or five-leaved ivy. It has compound leaves made up of five serrated leaflets which turn scarlet in autumn. Its native habitat is the same as that of poison ivy, but they can be differentiated easily since poison ivy has three leaflets.

Garden writer, Nicola Ferguson, in Right Plant, Right Place states that Virginia creeper will grow upward to about 70 feet. Comparing it to Boston ivy, she also says, ‚”When it is used for ground-cover it makes a looser and slightly higher mass of growth.” Virginia creeper grows 12 inches high and Boston ivy grows 9 inches high.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, this plant is a native plant of eastern North America, and can be weedy or invasive. But the qualities which make a plant invasive can also make it a garden champion, albeit with some taming required. Virginia creeper is a very robust plant, hardy to Zone 2.

The US Forest Service states that Virginia creeper provides cover for small animals and birds. Although the berries are toxic to humans, wildlife finds the plant edible. According to USFS, ‚”Songbirds are the principal consumers of Virginia creeper fruit, but deer, squirrels, and other small animals also eat them. Cattle and deer sometimes browse the foliage.”

Boston Ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata

This plant, also known as Japanese creeper, is native to east Asia but according to the US Department of Agriculture it has naturalized in the central and north-eastern United States and in Ontario.

Boston ivy is much like Virginia creeper in habit, but not as tall-reaching, growing just to a height of 50 feet. This plant has shinier but smaller leaves, which can grow up to 8 inches across. They are maple-shaped or trifoliate (three parts to each leaf) and in the fall, they turn a blood red, famed for its brilliance. It is hardy to Zone 5, not as robust as Virginia creeper.

According to North Carolina State University, this vine is excellent on masonry walls. But not all agree that Boston ivy on a brick wall is a good idea. According to Gardening Life, a Canadian online magazine, it will damage the wall, “insinuating itself into eaves and soffits, and its little ‘holdfasts’ will damage the surface and mortar.” But many a brick wall has withstood the vine for decades, if not centuries, so perhaps other factors are at play here ‚Äî climate, exposure, etc. Perhaps the protection of the vine leaves offsets the damage they do to the brick?

Why Grow Parthenocissus, ‚”Queen of the Hardy Vines”?

There’s a lot of detail to absorb about parthenocissus, but gardeners basically just want to know, ‚”Will it flourish in my garden?” Yes, it will. Garden expert, Larry Hodgson, in Making the Most of Shade, calls parthenocissus the ‚”queen of the hardy vines.” He goes on to state, ‚”These vines are among the most adaptable of all, seemingly immune to sun or shade, and any type of well-drained soil will do. They’ll even grow in cracks in pavement!”

Royal roots aside, there are many good reasons for growing parthenocissus:

• Versatile, used on walls, in woodland gardens, as groundcover on slopes, on patio arbors, and in containers.
• Thrives as sun or shade vine.
• Adaptable to any type of soil, fast-growing.
• Easily propagated by cuttings or self-layering.
• Fiery red leaves in autumn (Boston ivy especially).

Even Climbing Plant Champion has Problems

Parthenocissus, although a winning vine, still has a few problems:

• Fast-growth means regular pruning back.
• Leaf-eating insects love these plants, so insecticidal treatment may be needed.
• Tendrils and adhesive disks can be hard to remove from building walls.
• Virginia creeper can have quite large leaves and may appear too coarse for a small site.
• Its dark blue to black berries are known to be poisonous.

Climbing Vine Plants of Renown

If you’re the type of gardener who doesn’t care much about species particulars but relies more on performance and effect, then it won’t matter to you if you have a quinquefolius or a tricuspidata.

But if details delight, and you’re the type who wants to know more, then learning about names, leaf types, and plant origins will add to your gardening enjoyment. Although sometimes confused, these two plants, Virginia creeper and Boston ivy, are both climbing plant stalwarts. Either one, true to its parthenocissus name, makes a superb groundcover or trailing vine for any garden ‚Äî “Queen of the Hardy Vines” indeed.

To read about other shade groundcovers, see the articles:

Try Japanese Spurge, Pachysandra terminalis, as Shade Groundcover.

Periwinkle, Vinca minor, Perennial Groundcover for Shady Gardens.

Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum, Perennial Groundcover for Shade.

References:

Ferguson, Nicola, Right Plant, Right Place, London: Pan Books Ltd., 1986.

Hodgson, Larry, Making the Most of Shade: How to Plan, Plant, and Grow a Fabulous Garden that Lightens up the Shadows, Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2005.