NICE! Plant of the Month
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Family: Vitaceae
Type: Large-scale deciduous vine
Natural Habitat: Many kinds of soil all over the Eastern half of the US and most of Texas
Growth: 50 feet or more
Preferred Site and Use: Screening, groundcover, erosion control
Deer Resistance: Not usually bothered by deer
Wildlife: Songbirds eat the small black berries
Light Tolerance: Shade to full sun
Flowers: Small, inconspicuous
Fruit: Small black berries
Leaves: Shiny, deeply toothed leaflets in clusters of five. Spectacular fall colors, leaves turn red or purple.
Water Requirements: Moderate, less in shade
Soil Requirements: Sand, loam, clay, caliche, limestone, tolerates poor drainage.
Maintenance: Vigorous and quick-growing. Be prepared for a BIG vine.
Planting Instructions: Space plants 1-2 feet apart if they are to be trained up, farther apart if they are to be used as a groundcover. Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball, but a thin layer of compost may be spread over the soil surface. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Water monthly only during periods of drought. Once established, natives will survive with little supplemental irrigation.
NICE! Tip: Often confused with 3-leafed poison ivy (another Texas native). The five-leaflet Virginia Creeper is an adaptable very easy-to-grow woody vine. It holds on to almost any surface by adhesive discs on aerial rootlets, providing quick summer shade on fences and arbors with no messy fruit. It also makes a good ground cover. Spring bulbs can easily come through the bare stems, while the Creeper’s emerging foliage will cover old bulb foliage later. Use this easy native instead of English Ivy or Porcelainberry!
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.
