Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Common Name: Virginia Creeper, Woodbine
Family: Vitaceae

VINE

Wadsworth Estate, Middletown, CT

Plant is Native to: northeastern United States through to Florida. Hardy to Zone 4, some parts of Zone 3.
Plant Height at maturity: 30 to 50 feet and more (limited by the structure it is growing on).
Plant Habit and Form: Deciduous vine with tendrils which have 5 to 8 branches, each ending in adhesive-like tips; needs no support since it can ‘cement’ itself to a wall, tree or ground by secreting calcium carbonate. Fast growth rate; medium texture.
Foliage: Alternate, compound palmate, 3 to 5 serrated leaflets, each with a stalk 1/3" long, elliptic to obovate-oblong; 1 ½" to 4" long, ½ to 2 ½ " wide. Young growth bright waxy bronze to red, lustrous dark green above on older growth. Purple to red fall color; first vine to turn color in fall and can be seen in tops of trees or climbing poles; leaves fall early.

Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT

Wadsworth Estate, Middletown, CT

Town Farm Rd, West Simsbury, CT

Bark: Tan color stems, exfoliating with prominent lenticels and leaf scars.
Flower: Greenish-white flowers in June-July; form in cymes at the terminal end. Borne under the foliage, so not noticeable.
Fruit/Seed: 1/4" in diameter. Green then turning bluish black, in September-October. Visible after leaf fall; enjoyed by birds, therefore ubiquitous, spread by birds.

Town Farm Rd, West Simsbury, CT

Growing Requirements: Tolerates almost any soil type; full sun to full shade; windy sites; polluted sites, city conditions; even salt tolerant. Best to grow in container, then transplant if cultivating.
Problems and Drawbacks: Canker, downy mildew, leaf spots, powdery mildew, wilt, beetles, eight-spotted forester, leaf hoppers, scales and several other insects. May seed itself where seeds are dropped by birds. May leave marks on walls from its secretions.
Special Uses: Excellent, low-maintenance cover for walls, trellises, rock piles, trees; can be an asset if used properly. Is a tough vine, and does not need support so good in many situations where other vines fail.

ID Tips/Remarks: Blue fruit born on red pedicel; alternate leaf formation of 3 to 5 leaflets. Oval hold-fasts. Palmately compound leaves.
Bibliography:
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/p/parqui/parqui1.html
Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, 1998 Stipes Publishing, Champaigne, IL