Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Vitaceae
Genus:: Parthenocissus
Species:: Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Vine
Height:: 20-40 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:: Medium
Bloom Months:: may, jun
Bloom Colors:: White, Green

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:: ★★★☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Abbott's sphinx (Sphecodina abbottii), Achemon sphinx (Eumorpha achemon), Albuna fraxini, American lappet moth (Phyllodesma americana), Azalea sphinx (Darapsa choerilus), bad-wing (Dyspteris abortivaria), Beautiful Wood Nymph (Eudryas grata), brilliant grapeleaf skeletonizer (Harrisina brillians), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides), Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Grape Leaffolder (Desmia funeralis), Grapeleaf skeletonizer (Harrisina americana), Greater Grapevine Looper (Eulithis gracilineata), Harrisina coracina, Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), Langton's Forester (Alypia langtoni), lesser grape root borer (Vitacea scepsiformis), Lesser grapevine looper (Eulithis diversilineata), Lettered Sphinx (Deidamia inscriptum), Monochroa absconditella, Mournful sphinx (Enyo lugubris), Nessus sphinx (Amphion floridensis), Pandorus Sphinx (Eumorpha pandorus), Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella, satellite sphinx (Eumorpha satellitia), Sparganothis sp., Virginia creeper sphinx (Darapsa myron), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Bombus impatiens (Bombus impatiens), Bombus impatiens (Bombus impatiens), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis) Moths:Aspilanta ampelopsifoliella (Aspilanta ampelopsifoliella)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:: 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: dry to moderate
Notes:: adaptable to various soil types

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Seeds are cool stratified in mesh bags in moist sand at 40°F, 35% relative humidity for 60 days. Seeds are then drenched with fungicide to prevent mildew.

Establishment: Seeds were collected in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Kentucky. The plant is generally distributed from Maine to Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraska, south to Florida and Texas, and grows in moist soil.

Source: npn.rngr.net