Specimen record
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Description
A vigorous native woody vine that climbs trees and walls using adhesive-tipped tendrils. Virginia creeper is one of the first plants to turn color in autumn, producing brilliant scarlet to deep burgundy foliage. The dark blue berries on bright red stalks are an important food source for birds. It is frequently confused with poison ivy, but is easily distinguished by its five leaflets versus three.
Identification tips
- 1Palmately compound leaves with 5 leaflets (poison ivy has 3)
- 2Tendrils with adhesive disks at tips — sticks to bark, stone, and brick
- 3Brilliant scarlet to burgundy fall color, among the earliest to change
- 4Dark blue berries on bright red stalks (pedicels) in autumn
- 5Coarsely toothed leaflets radiating from a single point
Specimen & preservation notes
Press a vine section with a full leaf (5 leaflets arranged flat) and tendrils showing adhesive disks. Collect at peak fall color for the most attractive specimen. Include a berry cluster if available. Red foliage color fades to brown — note the original color on the label.
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into May, July, and August.
Flowering records: 8 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 1172 observations within 25 km