Wild and Weedy Wednesday: Virginia Creeper

All along one side of the garden some Virginia Creeper has attached itself to our fence… it is only a flimsy wire fence intended to keep deer out of the garden, so we are not sure how long it will hold up! But for now the creeper remains simply because it is so pretty.

Virginia Creeper, 29th September 2024

Parthenocissus quinquefolia is an invasive and non-native vine that pops up in gardens and hedgerows seemingly from nowhere. The name means ‘virgin ivy with five leaves’. The berries are rapidly eaten by the birds in the autumn, so they obviously disperse the seed. But the creeper will also ‘jump’ from one spot to the next and can be seen climbing telegraph poles and streetlamps even in towns and villages.

Virginia Creeper a month ago

Here you can see the dark berries…

The vine fixes itself via tendrils that have pads on them which stick to the surface of walls, trees etc. These are hard to remove from fences, but should we need to lighten the load we will just have to cut the roots in places and the plant will then die back.

At this time of year the foliage is quite beautiful, turning red, purple, pink and orange. Here is a photo from last year, taken mid-October…

In spring the tiny flowers attract thousands of bees and other pollinating insects. It is also good cover for small birds, so – along with the berries – there is something for the wildlife for much of the year.

I would never plant this in a garden, simply because it can get out of control rather quickly and the leaves are also troublesome when they drop in the autumn. (But they do look fabulous climbing up buildings!)

Do you See Virginia Creeper in your part of the world, either in the wild or in gardens?

This is the last weed I will share this year, after covering another twenty wild flowers and weeds growing in and around my garden. I think my favourite this year was the saxifrage I covered here. Or was it perhaps the mallow…. or even the chicory?! I look forward to sharing more wild and weedy plants from my garden next spring. In the meantime, happy gardening and happy weeding!