Parthenocissus quinquefolia
(Virginia creeper)

Preferred Scientific Name

• Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.

Preferred Common Name

• Virginia creeper

Other Scientific Names

• Ampelocissus cirrhata Voss
• Ampelocissus major Voss
• Ampelopsis hederacea (EHRH.) DC.
• Ampelopsis heptaphylla Buckley
• Ampelopsis himalayana Dippel
• Ampelopsis hirsuta (Pursh) Donn ex Schult.
• Ampelopsis latifolia Tausch
• Ampelopsis quinquefolia MICHX.
• Ampelopsis roylei Dippel
• Ampelopsis saint-paulii (Rehder) Rehder
• Ampelopsis virginiana Dippel
• Cissus hederacea Pers.
• Cissus hirsuta Steud.
• Cissus quinquefolia (L.) Borkh.
• Hedera carnosa W.Bartram
• Hedera quinquefolia L.
• Parthenocissus dumetorum (Focke) Rehder
• Parthenocissus engelmannii Koehne & Graebn.
• Parthenocissus heptaphylla (Buckley) Britton ex Small
• Psedera heptaphylla (Buckley) Rehder
• Psedera quinquefolia (L.) Greene
• Quinaria quinquefolia (L.) Koehne
• Vitis hederacea Ehrh.
• Vitis quinquefolia (L.) Lam.

International Common Names

• English: American ivy; five leaved ivy; five-leaf ivy; Japanese ivy; woodbine
• Spanish: Vina virgen
• French: vigne vierge vraie; Vigne-vierge a cinq feuilles
• Chinese: wu ye di jin

Local Common Names

• Cuba: bejuco ubí; parrita cimarrona; parrita cimarrona; ubí colorado
• Germany: Fuenfblaettrige Jungfernrebe; gewöhnliche Jungfernrebe; Selbstkletternde Jungfernrebe; wilder Wein
• Italy: vite del Canada comune
• Japan: amerika-zuta
• Netherlands: Haagwijnrank
• Sweden: klättervildvin

EPPO code

• PRTQU (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Rhamnales
•                         Family: Vitaceae
•                             Genus: Parthenocissus
•                                 Species: Parthenocissus quinquefolia

The family Vitaceae comprises 14 genera and about 900 species of vines and lianas distributed across Pantropical and (warm) temperate regions of the world (Soejima and Wen 2006; Stevens, 2012). Parthenocissus has a long and complex taxonomic history (Lu et al., 2011). This genus consists of about 13 species with a disjoint distribution between Asia and North America. There are approximately 10 species in the Old World distributed primarily in eastern Asia, with one species in the Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka, one in Java to northern Thailand and three species in North America (Lu et al., 2011).

Species within Parthenocissus can be easily distinguished by their highly branched tendrils, adhesive discs at tendril apices, inconspicuous floral discs and two long ventral in-folds extending from the apex to the base of the seed (Lu et al., 2011; Latiff, 2012). The genus name derives from the Greek parthenos, "virgin", and kissos (Latinized as "cissus"), "ivy". For P. quinquefolia the species epithet means “five-leaved”, referring to the leaflets on each compound leaf. 

Branchlets terete, glabrous; tendrils 5-9-branched, young apex curving, later developing into suckers. Leaves palmately 5-foliolate; petiole 5-14.5 cm, petiolule short or nearly absent, glabrous; leaflets obovoid, obovate-elliptic, or elliptic, 5.5-15 × 3-9 cm, glabrous or veins abaxially sparsely pilose, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, veinlets inconspicuously raised, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, margin with rough teeth, apex cuspidate. Paniculate polychasium pseudoterminal, with conspicuous rachis, 8-20 cm; peduncles 3-5 mm. Pedicel 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous. Buds elliptic, 2-3 mm, apex rounded. Calyx entire. Petals elliptic, 1.7-2.7 mm, glabrous. Filaments 0.6-0.8 mm; anthers elliptic, 1.2-1.8 mm. Disk inconspicuous. Ovary coniform; stigma not expanded. Berry 1-1.2 cm in diameter, 1-4-seeded. Seeds obovoid, base with short, acute rostrum, apex rounded (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2017).

Specimens with 7-foliolate leaves have been collected from sandy areas in Dare County, North Carolina (Flora of North America, 2015).

P. quinquefolia has been extensively introduced across temperate and subtropical regions of the world where it is often cultivated as an ornamental. In Europe it was introduced to cultivation by 1679 and can now be found naturalized in many countries including Belgium, France, Spain, UK, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania and Switzerland among others. In Great Britain it was introduced to cultivation by 1629 (Pilkington, 2011), first recorded in the wild by 1927 (DAISIE, 2017; GRIIS, 2017), and is now well-established in the wild and appears to be spreading (Pilkington, 2011).

In Australia, P. quinquefolia was apparently introduced in the 1800’s and it is now regarded as an environmental weed primarily in New South Wales and Sydney. It is probably most commonly naturalized in the Sydney area (Weeds of Australia, 2017).

In Zimbabwe it was recorded as an escape in the 1970’s in the riverine forest below the dam at Greystone Park Nature Reserve (Flora of Zimbabwe, 2017).

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• acid
• alkaline
• neutral

Soil texture

• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• saline

Vector Transmission (Biotic)

P. quinquefolia spreads by seed. Seeds are primarily dispersed by birds. In North America, songbirds are the principle consumers of the fruit: however, deer, game-birds and small mammals will also feed on them (USDA-NRCS, 2017). In the UK, birds and small mammals are known to eat the berries and disperse seeds, although it is not clear how viable seeds are in the British climate (Pilkington, 2011).

Intentional Introduction

P. quinquefolia has been intentionally introduced worldwide as an ornamental creeper. In cultivation it is propagated from hardwood cuttings or layering (GRIIS, 2017; USDA-NRCS, 2017). After introduction, it can regenerate from root fragments discarded in garden waste.

P. quinquefolia can cause damage to valuable trees and shrubs in parks and orchards. Once established on walls, fences and buildings, it is difficult to remove without damage due to close adherence to the surfaces. When established on road verges and railway embankments, regular control is needed to prevent a health and safety hazard, and this can be expensive (Pilkington, 2011).

P. quinquefolia is an aggressive vine that spreads both vertically and horizontal forming dense blankets that outcompete native vegetation. It climbs into forest canopies blocking light and restricting the growth of native plants. The weight of the climber foliage can contribute to branch breakage and canopy collapse (DAISIE, 2017; GRIIS, 2017; USDA_NRCS, 2017; Weeds of Australia, 2017). After girdling trees, the climber can slowly strangle them over an extended period (Pilkington, 2011).

Berries contain oxalic acid and are reported to be highly toxic to humans if ingested. The oxalate crystals in the sap can cause skin irritation and rashes in some people (USDA-NRCS, 2017). The tissues of the plant contain microscopic, irritating needle-like crystals called raphides (PFAF, 2017).

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Abundant in its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Is a habitat generalist
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Pioneering in disturbed areas
• Tolerant of shade
• Highly mobile locally
• Benefits from human association (i.e. it is a human commensal)
• Long lived
• Fast growing
• Gregarious
• Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year
• Reproduces asexually

• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Host damage
• Modification of successional patterns
• Monoculture formation
• Reduced amenity values
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Competition - shading
• Competition - smothering
• Poisoning
• Rapid growth
• Rooting

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
• Difficult/costly to control

P. quinquefolia is often cultivated as an ornamental because of its attractive foliage. It is an excellent covering for walls, fences, trellises and arbors. It keeps buildings cooler by shading wall surfaces during the summer.

The bark has been used in domestic medicines as a tonic, expectorant and remedy for dropsy (USDA-NRCS, 2017). The plant is also used for ground cover, soil conservation and to control erosion in shaded sites and slopes (USDA-NRCS, 2017).