Virginia creeper
September 16, 2015
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.
Life cycle
Perennial woody vine.
Leaves
Alternate, palmately compound usually with five leaflets, although leaves may consist of three to seven leaflets. Leaflets have toothed margins and turn deep red in the fall.

Compound leaves of Virginia creeper.
Tendrils
Branched three to eight times with adhesive disks at their tips that enable plants to grip and climb vertical surfaces.

Virginia creeper tendril.
Stems
Climbing woody vines with white pith. Young stems are red to green and turn brown with age.
Flowers and fruit
Flowers are small, inconspicuous and green to white. Fruit are small, blue to black, grapelike berries (drupes).

Virginia creeper fruit.
Reproduction
Seeds. Often dispersed by birds. Stems in contact with the ground may root.
Print a PDF of this page: Virginia creeper.
Other Documents in this Series
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
CANR meets academic needs to prepare students for their futures
Published on February 1, 2020
-
Celebrating 100 years of Michigan State University Extension in Alcona County
Published on October 19, 2017
-
Michigan State University and Nanjing Agricultural University in China finalize dual-degree agreement
Published on September 12, 2019
-
FSHN accepting applications for Academic Specialist-Teacher
Published on March 18, 2022
-
MSU researchers examine how people reinvent techniques they have learned through educational animations
Published on October 7, 2020
Accessibility Questions:
For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.