Boston Ivy
Parthenocissus tricuspidata
- Native to:
- China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, Vietnam
Llez
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Vitaceae
- Genus:
- Parthenocissus
- Species:
- Parthenocissus tricuspidata
- USDA Symbol:
- PATR6
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Vine
- Height:
- 1500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Abbott's sphinx (Sphecodina abbottii), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), brilliant grapeleaf skeletonizer (Harrisina brillians), Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides), Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), lesser grape root borer (Vitacea scepsiformis), Lesser grapevine looper (Eulithis diversilineata), Lettered Sphinx (Deidamia inscriptum), Nessus sphinx (Amphion floridensis), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- red, orange, purple
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- thrives in diverse soil types but prefers fertile conditions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification. Fresh seed germinates more reliably than dried seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI