# Virginia creeper (*Parthenocissus quinquefolia*) Virginia creeper is a climbing plant with beautiful green leaves that turn bright red in the fall. It loves to grow on walls and fences, making it look like a green blanket! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 91 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Five-leafed Ivy, Virginia Creepers ![Virginia creeper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Klimop_detail_2.JPG&width=800) Photo: Tasja, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Klimop_detail_2.JPG) ## Appearance The Virginia creeper is a climbing vine with distinctive palmate leaves, usually featuring five leaflets that radiate from a central point. Its foliage changes from green to vibrant reds, oranges, and purples in the autumn, often producing dark blue-black berries. It attaches to surfaces using small, disc-like adhesive pads. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Vitales - **Family:** Vitaceae - **Genus:** Parthenocissus ## Interesting facts - Each leaf usually has five leaflets, a great way to tell it apart from the three-leaf poison ivy! - Its berries contain irritating oxalic acid, so humans should never eat them, even though birds do! - This speedy climber can grow over three meters in a single year, quickly covering fences and walls! - Tiny green flowers attract bees, which help create the dark berries that many birds feast on. ## Special abilities - **Super Climber:** Virginia creeper can scale walls and trees using tiny, sticky adhesive pads on its tendrils that grip surfaces firmly. - **Autumn Signal:** Virginia creeper has leaves that turn brilliant red in fall, helping animals spot its dark berries, a winter food source. - **Tough Survivor:** Virginia creeper has flexible stems and strong roots, helping it thrive in many different tough environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-2000 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.8 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats ripe berries - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Bluebird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-bluebird) (*Sialia sialis*) — consumes its fruit - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits small flowers - **Shelter:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — nests in dense vines ## Traits - [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots. - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low While Virginia creeper is pretty, it's best to avoid eating its berries, as they can upset your tummy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Virginia creeper? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Virginia creeper? 100-2000 cm ### How big are the flowers on Virginia creeper? 0.3-0.8 cm ### When does Virginia creeper bloom? Summer ### Is Virginia creeper edible? No ### Is Virginia creeper toxic? Mild ### What is Virginia creeper's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Virginia creeper pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Audubon Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-place-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Bloomingdale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloomingdale) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Virginia creeper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/virginia-creeper) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Virginia creeper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/virginia-creeper)