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This Virginia Creeper adds grace and beauty to a crossbuck fence.
Among all the vines and shrubs displaying show-stopping fall color changes here in Northern Arizona, I place Virginia Creeper at the top of my list of favorites.
Exhibiting deep burgundy to crimson five-fingered leaves in autumn, this vine catches my eye in nearly every quarter of the region. It manifests an uncanny ability to grace trellises and fences as well as creep up and spill over walls and rocks. What’s more, I’ve spotted it climbing high up into a Ponderosa Pine on Observatory Mesa, marveled at its capacity to blanket large swaths of bank bordering East Route 66; and admired it cascading down the steps in front of the east Flagstaff Sizzler restaurant.
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), also known as woodbine, Victoria Creeper and five-leaved ivy, is versatile in both growing requirements and landscaping applications. This deciduous perennial vine is native to Eastern and Central United States and is hardy from USDA hardiness zones three through nine. It thrives in full sun to part shade in sandy, clay, or loamy soil and isn’t fickle about soil pH. It grows best when the soil remains moist but will tolerate brief, dry spells.
We have a number of attractive Virginia Creepers here in my own neighborhood. Jake and Jessica have planted this vine on sections of their wooden crossbuck fence mounted with wire mesh on one side. The vine climbs and weaves through the wooden planks and the six-inch by six-inch openings of the wire mesh with the aid of its grasping tendrils and miniscule adhesive discs.
Another of my neighbors, Bill, grows Virginia Creeper on sections of white vinyl fencing. He attaches galvanized welded wire mesh to the vinyl fencing by using stainless steel screws and finishing washers. The wire mesh has openings of about two inches by four inches.
Bill doesn’t merely grow Virginia Creeper, he also propagates new plants from cuttings of his mature plants. To do this, he simply cuts a length of vine of about eighteen inches and puts the older end, minus the leaves, into a basin of water about twelve inches deep. When the stem sprouts a grouping of roots several inches long, he plants it in the ground along his fence. While the seedling is young, he will occasionally guide the pliable stem through the network of the galvanized wire.
I find it compelling that while Jake and Jessica’s Virginia Creepers display crimson fall leaves, Bill’s vines lean more towards the burgundy end of the color spectrum. This may be attributed to variations in the following factors: soil nutrients, sun exposure, genetics of the plants themselves, and temperature. All the vines are a lush deep green during summer.
Both of my neighbors keep their vines neatly trimmed in order to prevent them from encroaching into nearby landscaping and walkways. All of their vines attract scores of berry-loving birds, and if deer should happen to wander into our neighborhood, they would likely nibble the leaves.
As with any ornamental plant, Virginia Creeper has a few pitfalls. For one, its handsome blue berries are toxic to humans, and sensitive persons may even develop a rash when coming into contact with the plant.
Another drawback is that even though this vine is gorgeous creeping up a wall, its adhesive disks may damage wall siding if you attempt to remove the vine. Also, this plant may find its way into the walls of a frame house, and its roots can penetrate into the rock foundation of an older home.
Keep in mind, too that when Virginia Creeper climbs up a tree it may inhibit sunlight necessary for the tree to photosynthesize sufficiently. Furthermore, it is rather difficult to disentangle the vine from leafy tree branches.
But when tended, the beauty of Virginia Creeper far outweighs its drawbacks. Indeed, all it takes is proper site selection and pruning, and growers can be well compensated with trouble-free, stunningly impressive vines.
Cindy Murray is a biologist, elementary tutor and Coconino Master Gardener and co-editor of Gardening Etc.
Master Gardener class: We are now taking application for the next Master Gardener class which starts on January 27, 2020. Class meets every Monday evening for 16 weeks in Flagstaff. For more information go to: https://extension.arizona.edu/coconino
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This Virginia Creeper adds grace and beauty to a crossbuck fence.
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