Regret your wild vine? You often notice these disadvantages too late.
Virginia creeper is one of those plants you fall in love with instantly. The fiery autumn foliage, in particular, creates a wow effect against walls or fences. However, just like in love, it's wise not to choose solely with your heart, lest you regret it. This fast-growing climber also has its drawbacks...
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Wild vine is a fast-growing climbing plant from the grapevine family ( Vitaceae ) that effortlessly covers a wall, fence, or fence . Thanks to its self-clinging roots, it climbs naturally or creeps along the ground as ground cover . In spring, it sprouts fresh green leaves and in autumn, it changes color spectacularly to orange and red.
It is very hardy, but not evergreen. Some varieties bloom from May onwards with inconspicuous greenish-white flowers, followed by blue-black berries in autumn. It prefers a sunny or lightly shaded spot.
From very large and spreading to smaller varieties: these are five popular varieties of wild vine.
- Parthenocissus quinquefolia – five-leaved species that is highly invasive.
- Parthenocissus tricuspidata – Oriental Virginia creeper, better known as 'Boston ivy', which is often seen on older buildings.
- Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Veitchii' – Japanese Virginia creeper with strikingly large, softer leaves.
- Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Green Spring' – a more compact variety up to 15 m tall with slightly glossy leaves.
- Parthenocissus henryana – compact variety up to 10 m tall with smaller, delicate leaves with silvery-white veins.
Gardeners' World editor Lizanne: "Old farmhouses or courtyards completely covered in the crimson autumn leaves of Virginia creeper: on holiday in France or Italy, I can't get enough of them. I thought, I want that at home too. On a whim, I bought a Parthenocissus quinquefolia for my city garden. Once I got home, I read all sorts of warnings and regretted it: it takes over your whole garden! I couldn't imagine how I was going to keep this plant under control in such a small backyard . I brought it back with a heavy heart."
This climber will easily steal your heart, but it also has its downsides. Here are 5 things you should know before you make the switch:
It's unstoppable: a Virginia creeper grows like crazy and can become quite rampant . Some species easily reach 3 meters. Parthenocissus quinquefolia, in particular, is a highly invasive species suitable only for large gardens. So only plant it if it has plenty of room to spread easily, or you'll regret it.
With its suction cups, the Virginia creeper can easily attach itself to a fence or wall, but also to wooden window frames or glass. These adhesive roots are very strong: when removed, the roots sometimes remain in place or they strip paint. That can be a real shame!
The shoots of the wild vine worm their way into cracks and crevices in walls and roofs, causing damage. With a bit of bad luck, the root will even push through a roof edge.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a highly invasive garden plant that easily spreads to nearby natural areas. This can cause problems, especially if it competes with other (native) species with high ecological value.
Tip! Use Floron's online database "Don't Garden In" to find out if a garden plant is invasive and get tips on alternatives.
If you don't maintain your Virginia creeper, it will grow over other plants and trees. This causes a lot of shade, which can hinder the growth of other plants.
- A beautiful garden all year round
- No stress when choosing plants
- Tips for combining plants
A Virginia creeper feels at home against any wall, fence, or platform, as long as it has plenty of space and doesn't cause any nuisance. Its self-adhesive suction cups allow it to climb to great heights without support. A nice bonus: in summer, the leaves provide insulation and coolness. And garden birds ? They gratefully make use of all the shelter it offers.
The plant itself isn't poisonous, so you don't need to worry about that. Some varieties produce blue-black berries in the fall that are mildly toxic to humans... so it's best to leave them hanging. Garden birds , however, love them and will happily come for a snack!
Pruning isn't strictly necessary, but it is very helpful if you want to keep the vine under control. In spring or autumn, you can easily cut back a Virginia creeper, as it will grow back anyway. Do you notice some stray shoots, dead leaves, or untidy offshoots in the meantime? No problem: you can easily trim them all year round.
Tip! You can easily take cuttings from the tender shoots, allowing you to grow new plants for free. Or you can dig up one of the rooted stems and plant it elsewhere in the garden.
Are you hesitant about a Virginia creeper, but would still like to hide that bare wall or fence with a green climber ? Then choose a non-invasive variety. Ivy is a good choice: evergreen, full of food for garden animals, and like Virginia creeper, it can grow in (light) shade. Or go for a graceful clematis , such as the native Clematis vitalba .
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