Native Texan with a flair for fall

I won’t spend a lot of space on this plant because it’s probably not going to fit into most urban landscapes. That’s one of the points I’ll mention. But it’s so showy each fall that people do ask, so I’ll hit its highlights.

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is native to the eastern half of North America and down into Mexico. It may be a naturalized citizen (a.k.a. a “volunteer weed”) in your shrub beds. You’ll see it in Texas woodlands, and birds eat its fruit and “plant” them in landscapes, including your beds.

So, this is probably time to interject my three important points about this pretty vine – things you’ll want to know before you consider it.

1. It grows big and it grows fast. It can cover a surface 50 ft. tall and 50 ft. wide. Under ideal conditions, it can do it in just a year or two. Put in simpler terms, unless you have a giant warehouse, you probably don’t want this plant on your property.

2. It sticks onto surfaces by means of little suction cups. Botanists refer to them as “holdfasts,” and that’s a perfect description. They’re as permanent as Super Glue. When they attach to siding, masonry, or window screens, they’re going to be there almost forever. Belt sanders and jackhammers are the best ways of removing them.

3. The plant looks like poison ivy. However, where poison ivy has “leaves of three” (three leaflets per leaf), Virginia creeper has five (hence the specific epithet quinquefolia – see photo below). But before you think you’ve escaped any allergic reaction because it’s not poison ivy, Virginia creeper brings its own set of problems along with it.

So, those are the reasons you’ll seldom see Virginia creeper sold in nurseries. However, if you have a spot where it might be appropriate, and if you can work around those issues, you’ll have a plant that’s more than willing to be lovely all summer with its deep green foliage, then brilliant red in the fall before it goes bare over the winter.

There’s even a green and white variegated type called ‘Star Showers’ in the market.