PlantFiles: Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia

I thankfully found this website one night while suffering from a terribly itchy red rash and could not sleep. I saw that a number of folks posted about the bad reaction they had, from handling Virginia Creeper. I thought, gee, that sounds like me! I had been helping my husband clear some woods, and was pulling the vines down from some oak trees. A short time later I started getting the itchy red rash which started on my abdomen. I used anti-itch remedies, and some gave temporary relief. It seems like I am finally getting a handle on the situation, probably just having to wait it out. It has been a week now. I finally can get some sleep, as I am starting to heal.
Thankyou to all those who wrote in about this plant

I can't believe how much this plant is confused with poison ivy!

VC is indigenous to most of the forests in the midwest, and I've yet to see a native forest area that was killed or strangled by VC.

I don't know about you guys, but I use this plant for bonsai. You can check out google and type in virginia creeper bonsai...I have it growing on my patio fence, it does need to be trimmed every other week as we don't want it climbing the house.

Many thanks to all that have posted how hardy this plant is. I'm trying to cover 900' of fence where there is no shade and everything else that's been planted has died from the terrible drying wind during the winter. We routinely get 60mph gusts and sustained winds of 35mph. So far it's survived being planted then immediately subjected to 100 degree temperatures. I'll report back in the fall if it survives.

Hi all! I bought this plant about 2-3 months ago through mail order (can't remember the name of the company though). In any case, it came in about a quart size container, and was extremely healthy looking with a good size woody stem and other smaller ones growing off of it.

My intention was to keep this plant in a large pot on my back deck, onto which I've built a "chicken coop" of sorts to keep my two cats contained. I potted the plant up, and put the pot on a small elevated table on the deck, and right next to the chicken-wire walls. I was hoping the plant would grow up the sides of the chicken coop thereby making it less "ugly". I also knew that it would provide lovely Fall color and food for the birds.

Well the plant just took off! It rapidly grew up along the chicken wire. However, about a week ago I noticed some of the leaves were no longer a healthy dark green, but sort of yellow. This has increased rapidly. Many leaves are now a lighter green/yellow, and I can see evidence of what may be some type of disease...large spots on the leaves. I don't see any obvious insects though.

Any idea what this is or what I should do?

Thank you!

(my email is "yippee1999@yahoo.com" if you want to write me, esp since I rarely come to this board...)

Virginia Creeper (lives in zones 2b-3 thru 9) is a North American native for walls, fences, etc that need cover-up. It is one of the few plants that will not damage bricks. It also makes a great bonsai and is readily available from local garden and plant nurseries. There is also a variegated version of this plant called Star Showers.

Virginia Creeper has colorful red/burgundy foliage and berries during the fall. It is more ordinary in appearance during the summer and its flowers are not too showy. The foliage of this woody vine can be rather variable in appearance; some vines produce rather broad leaflets with blunt tips, while others produce more slender leaflets with long tips.

You often see this plant growing up tall old trees and also at many college campuses. It gives the appearance of age "old world" to many buildings. I remember at Rutgers University in NJ, many students used to take cuttings and grow these as houseplants. I understand in some parts of the U.S. it can be invasive, but in the northeast it is native. I would recommend this plant to anyone that enjoys fall color.

Virginia Creeper has a few different varieties available today. One variety seen often is called Engelmannii, it has smaller leaves and has a better climbing habit that the species growing wild. I have read this variety is named after someone named George Engelmann. George Engelmann was an American botanist who passed away back in 1884.

Virginia Creeper is often confused with eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). There is a clear distinction between the two species; Poison Ivy has three leaflets and Virginia Creeper has five leaflets. Info on the internet sometimes suggests that Virginia Creeper is not poisonous, but the sap of the Virginia Creeper contains oxalate crystals and can cause skin irritation and rashes in small percent of people. Also note, Virginia Creeper DOES NOT contain Urushiol Oil like Poison Ivy. If you get a rash from touching Virginia Creeper it is probably because there was poison ivy growing along with it.

The berries of the Virginia Creeper are eaten by many wild animals such as mice, skunks, chipmunks, squirrels, turtles etc. I have read that cattle and deer will eat the leaves and stems of this plant. The vines themselves provide birds with shelter, perches, nesting places, and food.

Known varieties as follows : P. quinquefolia (American Ivy) P. quinquefolia 'Dark Green Ice' P. quinquefolia 'Guy's Garnet' P. quinquefolia 'Monham' (Star Showers® Virginia Creeper) P. quinquefolia 'Star Showers' (Variegated Virginia Creeper) P. quinquefolia 'Variegata' (Variegated Virginia Creeper) P. quinquefolia f. engelmannii P. quinquefolia f. hirsuta P. quinquefolia f. macrophylla P. quinquefolia f. minor P. quinquefolia var. engelmannii P. quinquefolia var. heptaphylla P. quinquefolia var. laciniata P. quinquefolia var. latifolia P. quinquefolia var. minor P. quinquefolia var. quinquefolia P. quinquefolia var. saint-paulii P. quinquefolia var. typica P. quinquefolia var. vitacea (American Ivy)

this plant grows out of control in my yard; it grows on and around my other plants, fences, trees. I'm so glad to finally be able to identify it, thanks to your site! I'm highly allergic to it no matter how careful I am and end up getting steroids to get it under control. the reaction lasts for weeks! the sight of it frightens me but I have to pull it out or it would take over. I do not like it.

Virginia Creeper... so THAT'S what this stuff is... This plant is everywhere in my back yard and, boy, does this site explain a lot! Like another person shared, I'm in my mid 40's & had never had Poison Ivy in my life... I bought my beautiful little cottage in the CT woods last year & just started really "reclaiming" my back yard this season. I was pulling this "mystery vine" off of some of my trees & got, what I thought was, my first case of Poison Ivy. I had, after all, gotten several scratches which had broken the skin. Thankfully, I didn't have the nightmare rash some of you have described, but it still wasn't very pleasant! This vine is killing my trees & is taking over! But I don't back down very easily, myself... I'll use some of the tips I've gotten here today & keep at it!

I do have a helpful hint that a professional gardening friend of mine gave to me. The second I come indoors, be it from mowing my lawn or a full blown weed whacking adventure, I get out of my dirty clothes (being careful not to touch anything) & immediately shower from head to toe with Dawn dishwashing liquid. I even wash my hair with it! My friend says that the "grease cutters" in the Dawn cut the oils from the plants. I do this EVERY time I'm outside gardening, hiking, whatever. I am happy to report that I haven't had ANY rashes since. Not one! I can't promise younger looking skin, but it sure keeps the rashes away! I hope this works for you as well as it has worked for me.

Thanks! This site is AWESOME!

Everything said about this plant is true. It was growing in my yard when I bought the house so I've left it alone for the most part. My tortoises love to eat the leaves & they do provide nice color in the fall.

PLANT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I can not stress that enough.

I would not mind this plant growing rampant in the back of my property. It would add a little foliage to the lot of trees that don't have branches below 30'.
But this monster keeps invading my garden plot and flowerbeds. It even managed to choke out the wild blackberries and 10 year old wintercreeper.

I have found myself to be quite allergic to this. I have tried everything when removing it. (short of full riot gear that is) and each time I end up carrying around a bottle of aloe gel for a week.
For those of you who get a rash from this plant I recommend the aloe gel. You can buy it at the drug store, or any place that sells sunblock. But make sure to buy the stuff with LIDOCAINE in the ingredients list. It usually has menthol in it too, so it will cool and soothe. For added soothing, keep some in the fridge. Works great on sunburns too.

I love Virginia creeper. It's a great North American native vine that will spread to cover eyesores like my neighbor's chain-link fence! Fall color is its most ornamental feature. Native trees can handle it too. I can understand why people with formal gardens don't like it, but for my all-native wild garden it's essential.

I am so so glad to have found this website. Each year I end up in the doctor's office begging for a shot. That should tell you how bad it is. Like others have said on here, no one believed me when I would point to VC and say "that's it! that's what makes me have these reactions".
Finally, I have vindication. It grows on my house in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina and the midlands at my mom's house.
Thank You!!!!

We have this beautiful native vine growing on several of the trees in our yard. The leaves turn a vivid red in the fall (usually before the tree leaves do) which really makes it stand out. The virginia creeper berries (& poison ivy berries) are eaten by the birds, & I've read that it is a host plant for the larva of the Pandora sphinx moth. I would much rather have this on my property than tree-choking English Ivy.
Whether it is invasive or simply an aggressive grower seems to depend on where you live. Here in Western PA, it's a real asset to our landscape.

This is one of the few species of vines, other than the rare grape, that grow out here. Of the two this is the more attractive by far, and will be planting it to cover my chain-link fence next spring. This native species is not a problem in the area.

I like this plant. It doesn't seem to be invasive to the point of wiping out other species of native plants, at least where I live, and it is beautiful in the fall! It is common here, but I wouldn't call it invasive. It's very pretty when you find it on a tree in the fall with it's deep red leaves and vine and purple berries.

I LOVE this plant! The spacing of the leaf sets on the stems doesn't obscure a wall like some vines do.

My neighbor had a huge mass of VC growing on a trellis and he just cut it to the ground, burned the old stuff and it came back but he cut out all the places he didn't want it. No problem.

I've had two growing for several years here in the cold, Zone 3 mountains of Colorado and perhaps our very short, 90 day growing season keeps it in check.

Our county extension office says VC is a native and not an invasive plant here. I often see it in the wild and it never even attempts climbing a tree!

I have had a experience with it's partner poison ivy.I planted it and boston ivy all around the yard first i made about 30 cuttings some was boston ivy but some poisonivy.I scratched my better half's back.oops We both had it for amonth.We got shots and pills.Then we found that jewel weed was a cure.It works.It sure was awful.I learned a good lesson.I worked at a nursery for 23 and should of known better .I did't know what it looked like til lately.

Extremely invasive. Beautiful fall color, none the less I do not want this plant in my garden.

I wanted to add my thoughts to the other comments here. First thank you for this info from others regarding the rash this plant can cause, at least I have found out what my hidious rash is from. I live in Chelmsford, MA, I have seen this vine growing up and over some of the bushes in my yard. I could have swore that I had done chopping of this vine before, and maybe I have. But my most recent cutting of it, last thursday, resulted in my receiving the most horrible, hidious, itchy and blistery rash ever. It is absolutely gross!!! I have it the worst on my forearms, my left arm is worse than my right (I am left handed) On this arm the blisters have all 'joined' together and there is a patch on them. It's also on my legs in spots. I have been applying cortozone cream daily, taking Benedryl pills and soaking what I can in baking soda and vinegar. At times I think it is getting better, but then again I believe I keep getting new blisters. Can't believe a plant could do this to you. Anyway, just wanted to put in my experience with it. I was working in the yard on an extremely hot day with shorts and sleeveless shirt.....sigh.

NOTE REGARDING RASH:
I am adding to my above comment from a couple days ago. I just wanted to post some more info, at least what I experienced, regarding the rash - as I couldn't find that much when I was looking.
Days 4-7 with the rash seemed to be the worst. On day 6 I started with nightly baths of baking soda (just dumped a bunch in -1 box or so) and white vinegar (again just poured some in) and soaked for at least 1/2 hour. This seemed to really help. Also kept applying cortizone cream several times a day. And took Benadryl for the itching.
I am currently on day 9 since coming in contact with the plant, and as of yesterday I can finally see some improvement. Today, it looks quite a lot better than yesterday! My worst area is 50% better than it was yesterday. The itching is still there..but hopefully it's on its way out. Hope this helps someone.

This plant grows here in the UK and looks very splendid trailing over the walls at Holland Park in Kensington. Until reading the comments on your site I was not aware of anyone having an allergy to it, though allergies to a lot of things are rather common these days. It certainly does not seem to be invasive here and where it does appear seems to be very balanced within the environment and in fact adds a splendid display of color and cascading and climbing forms. It was also mentioned to me by my tutor at art school in 1979 when I was painting a mural, he mentioned that the plant I was painting was in fact a Virginia Creeper and there was one growing outside his window (in London). As for allergies, I don't seem to have any problem with it, my allergy is to plane trees which line the streets here, and give off a lot of fluffy things for several months of the year.

We have Virginia Creeper growing on our ugly chain-link fence; west exposure. It is hardy, doesn't take much extra water and I love the red foliage and blue berries in the fall. It has not been invasive here. No one I know is allergic to it. I'm glad to have it.

Virginia Creeper is really not evil. Actually, it is a very important food source for wildlife. Those who are allergic should not allow it to grow near their homes, but it isn't that hard to control. The runners that this plant puts out only run a couple of inches underground. Surrounding them with an underground barrier will keep them from spreading. Spraying with industrial strength vinegar will kill the plant. If the first spraying doesn't do the job, simply repeat. People who are allergic should have somebody else do this for them. If it starts to grow in an unwanted place, simply cut the portion that is above ground. When it can't get sun the roots will die. If it is growing up your trees, cut it off at the base and let the top portion die. Once the suckers rot away, it will either fall down on it's own or be easy to pull down from the ground.

Compared to the foreign vines that have escaped in this country, Virginia Creeper isn't that destructive. Japanese Honeysuckle has killed more trees and shrubs than Virginia Creeper ever will. It is also easy to identify from it's notorious look alike, poison ivy. Ivy has three leaves, Creeper has five. Think about keeping a patch on your property to help the birds and other small animals make it through the winter. Remember, your home took away their home. Give a little in return.

Thank goodness I found this site! Just a few days ago I removed a vine from the side of my house. I had let it grow because I thought it was pretty and I have always loved the old English houses with vines growing up them. However, it started to grow around the electric, cable and phone lines that go into our home and I was afraid it would cause problems. So I removed it and put it in our burn pile (which we burned that day). Later on that evening I felt some itchy areas on my face and around my stomach. I thought I had chiggers, a very common and nasty little critter in Oklahoma that will eat you alive. However, over the next couple of days I developed rashes and blisters all over my body. I thought it must be poison ivy, but I had been very careful when I weeded to watch out for poison ivy. I had just suffered with it twice before in the span of approximately 6 months. I took a round of prednisone each time.

I was baffled. Every one I talked to said it had to be poison ivy and I must not have paid close enough attention, or I may have gotten it from my dog or cat or even horses. I could not believe I had been that careless or that I had developed such a bad case from contact with my pets.

I decided, instead, to check on the vine I had removed and I found this website. I thought it was a longshot but, to my surprise, I discovered that this little vine I had thought so pretty is called Virginia Creeper and it CAN give a person the same reaction as poison ivy even though it is a different chemical that causes the reaction. Now I am wondering if the previous two times I had a rash it was not because of this vine? I wonder this because I am in my forties and have never had poison ivy before, even when those around me got it and we had been in the same area doing the same activity. Also, the two other times I have had this rash is approximately the same time this Virginia Creeper began to get a really good foothold while growing up the side of my house and I had pulled some weeds around it. I just looked today to see if it was growing back and it is. I am going to try the vinegar method to try to get rid of it.

I would not call it a "bad" plant because I know all plants have their purpose in the ecosystem, but as I sit here miserable with painful blisters all over me, I have to say I would NOT recommend it to ANYONE to plant around their property. Even if you have never had a bad reaction does not mean someone who visits you will not or you may have one in the future. Again, thanks so much for this website! I now know I am not crazy!!!

I found this page when I was looking at poison ivy links -- I've got the rash but couldn't find the plant. On the other hand, I learned that the 5-leafed vine that spreads by runner all across my back yard and climbs up my trees is this and that it makes some lucky folks appear to have poison ivy. I've let my back yard go natural in the 11 years I've lived here -- I figured it was easier on me and better for the birds -- but I've just decided I'd had enough of the Virginia creeper. It's going to be tough to get rid of, especially if I'm allergic to it.
I wouldn't invite this plant into my yard unless I were going to limit it very carefully.

Great plant for fences & looks great...

We're in zone 5a / 5b and this vine is threatening to ruin our trees by smothering them. It's so hard to get rid of that I can't imagine anyone wanting to plant it on purpose. There are other ways to get red foliage in the fall! :) Bird droppings spread this nuisance vine when they perch on trees / shrubs so beware. Keep an eye open for young plants so that they can be removed more easily. I spent 2 days crawling underneath a large evergreen tree trying to remove as much of the vine as possible, clipping the root below it's "bulb" but unable to dig the entire root up. I am guessing I have over 200+ evergreen trees on our place and am scared to even see how many more this vine might be under. Maybe Monsanto company will choose my yard to do a test sample on to see how effective their products will control it. :) (A gal can dream.........*sigh*..........) lol

I'm new to this site and I'd like to thank everyone for helping me identify this plant.

I'm a relatively new homeowner of a 125 year old house with much overgrown and unidentified plant life. The Virginia creeper is currently growing up my large pine tree. The pine tree does not look healthy and I believe this vine may be one reason why.

My next door neighbor warned me that she tried to help the previous homeowners remove this plant and that she developed a nasty rash. I appreciate the information provided in these posts about how to remove this plant.

I have no interest in creating any more controversy about this plant, but here is a thought I had: I believe we have a responsibility to future homeowners and our neighbors when we plant. Regardless of how nice this plant's foliage may look, I think the fact that some people develop a very severe allergic reaction should take priority in choosing whether or not to deliberately plant this vine.

Another thought: could there be more than one species of this plant that would explain the differing opinions/experiences?

This is a good plant for certain uses. It can be quite invasive, but does have wildlife value, and the palmate-compound leaves are attractive with a finer texture than many other vines. The fruit is preferred by many birds, in particular thrush species like mockingbirds, catbirds, robins, wood thrushes, etc., and is useful to them during fall migration. The intense bright red fall color helps birds find the berries, and in turn the vine is spread in part by birds "planting" the seeds.

Individual plants also spread, as many of us well know. They're good as groundcovers for areas where you're not going to walk and don't have any delicate plants that would suffer from competition. If you're trying to take plants out, ALWAYS wear gloves and cover all skin, since for many, the plant can cause allergic reactions that get more sensitive and worse each time, like poison ivy. As I understand it, the sap is the worst part.

I have very fond memories of this plant growing up the posts on my grandmas front porch and was overjoyed to find a plant this week-end! The front of my house is always in the shade and I have an area I would like something to take over as ground cover. As well as a new front porch we are building and I would love for it to cover it! I agree with the others, it does what it is meant to do, and does it very well! I can't wait for the red leaves! Gorgeous!

I'm hoping to be able to change my neutral experience into a positive one. Two years ago I planted Virginia Creeper and Boston Ivy alternately to grow up an old, unsighly fence. I was hoping for a relatively quick "cover". However, it has neither invaded nor "crept" up the fence as hoped. Perhaps it needs a little help (chicken wire or other 'something to hold on to')

Perhaps the Minnesota weather slows this sometimes invasive vine down ... I've also planted several perinials and whilst working in my garden, touching the creeper, have never experienced a rash.

We bought our Virginia Creeper and Boston Ivy at Bachman's (2 yr. old plants) and still nothing ... Here's hoping 2007 will be their summer.

I've these growing/volunteering in my woodland backyard. This spring I found one pops up on my front yard in place of my prized Pandora vine. Elk!!! I didn't know what they were for sure, until DG's i.d. forum leads me to this PF from a fellow gardener's common curiosity. Right of from the beginning, there are 9 vendors advertised for this plant. I guess, one man's weeds and dozen's treasures? I'll be careful from dealing with traders/vendors that offer such goods/plants. Thanks

As a Master Gardener, I am always reluctant to label plants 'invasive' because there are usually exceptions - heck, even bad guys have some good days! But take a drive along many wooded highways and look closely. Virginia Creeper leaves are one among many vine-species that you are actually looking at...not the poor host Oak, Maple, Elm, etc that is being choked to death!

My one STRONG PLEA IS THIS: No matter how vigilant the gardener, no matter how 'contained' the root system, and in spite of all related efforts to keep foreign plant species within your property...MOST INVASIVE plant species (foreign or native) will be true to their nature! They are THE EXPERTS...not us! Their DNA drive to propogate, proliferate, and survive is hardwired. Especially plants with determined root systems or vine habit. They either create an unhealthy monoculture, or simply rise and choke the life out of any plant or tree unlucky enough to get in its path. It is a lot easier (and cheaper!) to check out your local Native Plant agency or other gardener source to seek alternative plants with similar features before you pluck down a potential enemy! Thank You.

This native plant can get out of bounds easily, especially in disturbed areas. But it has a beauty all its own in the fall.

*** Ever wonder how Virginia Creeper got its name? My best guess is someone from Virginia named it years ago. An old text book I have gives some good info on this plants name. Latin name is Parthenocissus quinquefolia, from greek parthenos (a virgin) and kissos (ivy) referring to the common name Virginia Creeper. The quinquefolia part meens with five leaves (leaflets).

Engelmanni - Smaller leaves and better clinging characteristics than the standered species. Monham (Star Showers TM) - The leaves have white variegations. Variegata - A less vigorous vine than the species, leaves marked with yellow and white then developing a pink and red fall color.

Virginia creeper makes a fine bonsai. The most difficult thing in training them is to find a suitable specimen. In the Northeast US they can often be collected. They grow very vigorously and form long vines. Look for the distinctive five leaflets and follow the vine back to the base. There is often a single heavy trunk which can be easily dug.

Although early spring is the best time to dig and transplant, they can be also transplanted during the growing season. Cut the vine back to an intersting line before digging. They will grow new buds quickly, which can be developed into branches. Since Virginia creeper is a vine, it is most suitable for cascade styles.

As far as the folige is concerned, it is easily reduced by defoliating during the summer, and it is very possible to defoliate twice or three times during the growing season. Even in Upstate New York, you can do it at least twice during the summer. Just remember to provide full sun, lots of water and fertilizer as well.

I generally allow the new shoots to run for about 8 to 10 inches, then trim back to the silhoutette. If you want to develope branchs, let the new shoots run until they reach the correct thickness.

The Virginia Creeper is a dependable superb autumn color and purple fruit will make it a focal point for your autumn bonsai viewing for a few days.

This plant resembles poison ivy, but has five leaves instead of three. Someone here said they couldn't tell it from grapes ... these two vines don't even look similar! Makes me wonder how many people with the negative comments have actually properly identified their vine.

I have never had an allergic reaction to Virginia Creeper, but many plants can cause irritation or allergic reactions when handled for prolonged periods. If you're trying to eradicate a plant, you should wear gloves and long sleeves, and wash up as soon as possible.

This is a native plant that feeds not just birds, but squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, butterflies and various other native wildlife.

It's a good choice for shady spots if you have space to let it roam and it can serve as a ground cover.

While I can see why some might call it invasive, it's certainly not as bad as many exotics sold as shade ground covers, such as bush honeysuckle which are crowding out habitats in natural areas right and left.

My parents grew this vine on the north side of the house. It covered the windows with a pretty green sea of leaves every summer, and made for a nice ambiance inside and didn't look bad from the outside either.

I just recently pulled up a massive amount of this plant behind the plant shop where I work. I took every precaution not to touch the plant, as I am known to have allergic reactions to many things. It was pulled as a precautionary measure because it can cause a rash, but it was very, very beautiful, especially the new growth.

The foliage in the fall is very pretty, but poison ivy blends in very well w/ this plant. I found out the hard way...covered frome head to toe & very miserable for a while. Be careful w/ this plant if you have poison ivy in your area!

Not a problem in the high desert of Utah zone 4-5. If we want something to die we stop watering it, except for Russian Olive Trees. They will grow anywhere. My dad has had this vine growing on the side of his house for the last 45 years. Great shade cover. The only problem is that once it gets to the top of the house it just keeps on going and occasionally tries to explore under the shingles. Dad (now near 80 years old) goes up on the roof and cuts them back once or so a year. They have never tried to spread horizontally into the grass. With the only water coming from sprinklers and -30F winters it doesn't take much to control it here.

While spring cleaning the yard I noticed that my 8 foot azalea bush was dying on one side. Upon inspection I saw what looked like a demon vine wrapped around the branches choking it to death. My neighbor said it killed all his azaleas. l went to my local feed store and the expert there recommended a very expensive chemical product to use when (not if) it comes back. Not wanting to kill the bush I think I'll try the vinegar recommended here. Thanks to the posters for that info. I also found on the web that a certain caterpillar kills it too but that might be another problem in itself. (The Western grapeleaf skeletonizer. This is the caterpillar of a dark gray or metallic blue moth with a one inch wing span). I spent all morning pulling endless vines out of that bush but didnt have an allergic reaction, thank god! This vine should be outlawed.

We have lived in the same home for about twelve years,
and in that time, I've seen the same vine leaf out, grow
berries and turn red, but nothing excessive or invasive.

I'm not saying everyone should plant it, but I have never
experienced the horrors everyone else has mentioned.
On rare occasion, I find little sprouts, but yank them
out and am done with them. Perhaps we just have more
birds in our area and thus have few sprouts popping up
the following spring?

I find it attractive and just let it grow where it has since
before we moved in. It is indeed a gorgeous color and the
added berries for the birds makes it a pleasant plant to
watch climb our black walnut trees each year.

I identified this plant when we bought our house 18 months ago. It is growing all through our woods, to the point of choking out our grapevines and some of the trees.

I don't find it horrible to look at, it's kind of an interesting plant...at first I thought it was poison ivy. I don't necessarily want to eradicate it, but I don't want it killing/choking out everything else, either.

This plant is aggressive in my area, but nothing too horrible. I can understand the frustrations of those who find it invasive, but it is important to remember it is SUPPOSED to be there. If some kind of human activity is lending advantage to the plant and creating an environment in which it will overpower other plants (when it otherwise wouldn't), then it is those human activities that need to change.

Also, to those having allergic reactions--this plant is not related to poison ivy, but grapes. It's not out to get you! Many plants cause allergic reactions in different people, and you can't go crazy trying to get rid of plants that give you a reaction. I'm allergic to palms and cypress trees, both trees that I live around and value very much. Not to mention ragweed. Oh, and I have an extreme sensitivity to poison ivy and poisonwood. But they're native and an integral part of the ecosystem. Animals rely on these plants for their existence more than any rash could ever bother you. You can't blame others for allowing this plant to grow just because you don't like it or are negatively affected by it. It's just nature doing its thing. I'm not saying any of you should have it in your garden, but there are plenty of places where it does belong.

You will be a garden "slave" if you decide to plant this in the South (USA). This vine is extremely invasive. Some people like it becuase it is host to several butterfiles.

Virginia creepers flattened several acres of woods where I grew up in New York. Where mature forest trees stood fifteen years ago is now low scrub with a vanguard of virginia creeper like some kind of space-slime invasion.

Some people think that a native plant can never be called "invasive", but that's mixing up terms. Virginia creeper is not an "exotic" invasive, but it certainly can be a "native" invasive.

Some people think an "invasive" or "rambunctious" plant won't be a problem if they themselves are going to plant it in a place where it won't get out of control.

Well, even if it may not cause trouble for YOU, take note when you see trees in your area being levelled by vines like bittersweet, virginia creeper, porcelain berry, etc. The seeds from plants possibly a mile or more away could be causing it.

Also, many people above assume that a plant will be less invasive in colder climates, but from the comments above, it seems that most of the positive experiences with virginia creeper are from warmer climates like Florida while the negative super-invasion comments come from colder places.

So please think twice before planting something that many people in your area consider an invasive. Thank you!

Terribly invasive. I'd rather spend my gardening time with the plants I love than trying to remove invasive plants. Thanks to all who wrote about the rash: now I'll wear gloves.

In our area high temps for 4 to 6 months are not out of the norm, it gets below freezing for atleast 2 to 4 months in the night, we have heavy clay soil and winds but this is a great plant if you properly plan where to put it. It can cover your roses and will attach to anything that grapes attach to. It is a fast growing screen for ugly chain link. I planted it under a willow with Vinca major and Algerian Ivy and all are doing well, surprisingly only the ivy is climbing up the tree. The leaves seem to grow much larger in the shade in zone11.

I loved this plant, used it to hide a high ugly concrete wall in full western sun on top of an incline where few other things would grow.

BUT then had to remove it before selling the house...and couldn't get its suckers off the concrete without sanding. It's one of the few native vines we have in Central Texas, is low maintenance and birds love the berries.

I also planted it in a shady area and it hardly grew at all, so maybe the key to happiness with this thing is to limit its sun exposure?

For 30 years Virginia creeper has made my life a torment and I learned its name only today. None of the gardeners here in Connecticut could put a name to the plant that I said made me sick. Thanks to the thoughtful postings at Dave's Garden I now know that it isn't poison ivy or poison oak. It is much worst.

Every year I get several attacks. Currently, I am in the second week of a reaction to the plant. I have been to the doctor, taken a 6-day of prednisolne treatment and still new blisters are emerging. Each blister itches like crazy and feels like a pin is inserted into each one of them. There are at least 1,000 blisters on me. This isn't my worst reaction. That one caused a 4"x6" bright red blotch on my forearm where ALL my skin was eaten away. The doctor had to stiffle a scream when he saw it. Weeks of antibiotic cream, piles of non-stick bandages, and roll after roll of self-sticking tapes saved me from the staph infection the doctor was concerned about. He told me, you just can't walk around with a hole in you skin like that.

In the garden here in Connecticut, we have only a few small plants. Thinking it was poison ivy or poison oak, I was spaying Ortho Poison Ivy killer on the plants' leaves when they are dry and when rain isn't expected for 24 hours. The spray kills the leaves and the vine withers.

I'll try the vinegar technique in my woodland garden, which is a reclaimed wooded area. There is a chipmonk living in the old stump there. I have avoided the chemical spray in that part of the garden but the Virginia creeper is gaining.

My hearts breaks for those of you who have major stands of this truly horrible plant. Good luck with your efforts to clear the plants

Those of you who post positive comments about this "pretty plant" really do need to think about the health of others. This is an extremely toxic plant.

We in Colorado desperately need plants that are xeric, and this one fits the bill. I also love the fall color. We have a strip with a tall chain link fence and Virginia Creeper is the perfect plant for this spot. I just wish it were evergreen!

Allison Park, PA...Originally I thought this was a beautiful vine; however, when it grew up the trees and completely covered the tops of them, I knew it was time to trim it back. Low and behold I broke out in a terrible rash much like poison ivy. My doctor prescribed Clobetasol Propionate Gel (.05%) to apply to the rash. It works. I now keep the prescription filled and on hand at all times. When I remove the vine, I cut the feet from old socks and wear them over the sleeves of my sweat shirt and gloves. When done, I carefully remove the socks and dispose them. I also cover my hair with a bandana! My grandson retrieved a ball the other day and brushed up against the vine and now his back is covered with blisters! Time to remove it again. I hate this plant!!!

I am SO happy I found this site!! I am NOT crazy! I have Virginia Creeper growing in my fence...coming from a bush in the yard next door. It is everywhere. I tried to pull it out last fall and broke out in an awful rash. I needed medication and everything. I looked it up on the web to see exactly what the vine was and found nothing about it causing rashes so I thought I was nuts. This week I went and pulled some more bc it was taking over my beautiful row of flowers all along the fence and WHAM. I have it everywhere on my body. It hurts, itches, is red and swelling. More meds! This stuff is nasty. I don't care if it is the most beautiful plant on earth it is dangerous. My eye is almost swollen shut, it is around my mouth, ears, belly, legs, arms, fingers, etc. I am going to try the vinegar solution that was suggested. Thank you for all the interesting information on this yucky vine.

VC grows naturally in my small portion of NE woodland. True to its nature, itt creeped up my retaining wall slowly, hit more daylight, and then exploded with growth. My chainlink fence is now a fence hedge, which is delightful for me. The VC does try to grow into the yard, but it's easily mowed/trimmed into submission. My perrenial up the other side slope is a different story. I have to pull up the VC runners and sprouts at least 2X a year, but they come up so easily it's no problem.

I was surprised to see this plant for sale at nursery's, as it's so naturally abudant at my home. The plant tags and websites say it is the earlies to show fall color (turning red), but I have never had any of mine show any interesting fall color. Typically the japanese beetles eat this stuff up so quickly in July/June the tattered remains just quietly die back in winter. Actually this may be the one good thing about this plant is that it spares my roses from being the primary food source for the jap. beetles.

I have transplanted some of the VC to other parts of my house to climb up other parts of my fences. other good attribute of this plant is that it will not cling to vinyl siding.

Wow, I'm so surprised to see so many negative comments about this plant. I have not had any allergic type reactions with it, despite annual pruning and direct contact. I didn't even know this was a problem until reading this forum. In my zone 5 garden it is not the least bit invasive. I have it climbing up a guy-wire to the power pole and it will send runners out into the surrounding lawn, which are easily controlled just by mowing. I do have to trim it at the top end once every year to keep it from growing into the transformer etc. It has nice foliage in the summer, berries for the birds and gorgeous fall color. What's not to like?

I have never hated a plant before, but I HATE VIRGINIA CREEPER!!!!!!!!!! We've been trying to get rid of it for TWENTY YEARS!!!!

In my area, 20 miles east of Charleston, WV, the plant is invasive and out of control. Many locals refer to it as poison ivy because they've experienced the blisters and terrible itching. We have a lot of poison ivy here also. Yes, birds will eat the berries of both these plants, but I have other ways to feed the birds that won't spread these troublesome plants.

I have pulled small young plants by hand with 2 layers of plastic grocery bags on my hands and received no rash, but then a couple of weeks ago while cutting out some tree suckers, growing into the fence, I touched it by accident (not wearing my plastic bags) and ended up with blisters on one arm and on the thumb of my left hand. It actually took 2 days for them to develop. The itching was intense and I now have scars even though I never scratched the blisters.

I have discovered many long runners of this stuff all over my yard and it has grown up under the siding and forced pieces of siding loose. I have even found it growing in the gutters! It's a near constant challenge trying to keep it under control. Round Up and other weed killers have not worked, but I'm eager to try the vinegar treatment as soon as the current daily rain cycle stops.

I'm in Montpelier, Vermont--usually zone 4 more or less. I had never seen VCreeper before I moved to this town in 2001. It had just stuck to wrapping itself around an old, dead elm until last year. It was the first year that every kind of vine or invasive plant--native or nonnative--went crazy all over my yard. The worst, however, was VC, which crossed the lawns, attacked all kinds of trees and had me reliving Little Shop of Horrors. I remember now that the fall before, I had been pulling on some roots that kept going on and on--this was to clear space to plant some daffodils. I didn't see any foliage, but realize now that the plant must have been virginia creeper. Could my pulling up what I thought were roots have actually caused it to grow faster than ever? It had not been a problem up until this point. Another factor could be long, winters with inadequate snow cover?

Anyhow, thank you to the person who discovered the acetic acid treatment--I intend to take it up immediately. Also, thanks for listing the skin irritation reactions--I'd been wondering about that...

Now, if only someone could find the solution to Japanese Knotweed...

Wonderfull plant and a truly great native. Not really invasive if understand its nature and a habits in the wild. It is a large creeper and climbing vine, that is one of the most wide speard plants in eastern forrests. If you are the type that has to have everything in a neat row, this isn't for you... but for some of us that don't get mad at a leapard acting like one.. or a creeper that seems to always be creeping, its a wonderfull addition. (besides nothing is more of a thug then wisteria.. well the chinese and japanese)

It either needs a lot of space, or containment. I grew it wild on a hot rocky hillside mixed with Vinca Major, under Live Oak trees. It was never a problem. I did have to occasionally discourage it from climbing my trees, but a quick snip at the ground kept it at bay for months. I never had an allergic reaction as many others have mentioned.

I also transplanted it into a narrow rock planter we made at the base of a limestone garage wall. The planter covered an ugly old concrete footing, and it only held about 2-4" of soil in pockets. Once it was established I rarely watered, and it flourished, in almost no soil. Tough as nails.

It did require periodic pruning at the top to prevent it from getting tangled in the eaves. Beautiful red color in the fall against the white rock wall, when the whitetail deer didn't eat all the leaves off it. Which they did regularly, but it never hurt the plant. If you have a contained place where it can't get out of hand, and you will love how it looks against rock.

As has happened to others, this also came into the yard of our second home at our second home in Florida from a neighbor's place.

In January, we had all of our palms and other trees trimmed and they took out all of the creeper everywhere in our yard. It was on everything - every single tree, the whole fence, most of our bushes. We returned here in May to find that it was virtually ALL back! It has already shimmied up tall trees and nearly covered our fence. I had planted allamanda and confederate jasmine alone the fence and they're now in mortal combat with the Virginia Creeper. It's a pity that it's so invasive because it really is an attractive vine -- but it's just impossible to manage here in Florida.

My mother pulled out all the vines in her yard -- took her two full weeks and pretty much trashed part of her lawn. She systematically tracked the vines back to sort of an epicenter of vines connected into a deep woody stem system. She ended up burning that area and treating it with pesticide, which she otherwise rarely uses in her yard.

It grows up on the power lines and so Florida Power & Light has to come out at least once a year or so to remove it from all the lines on our whole block. It takes a crew a full day to do it. I have to say, I'm surprised that it's not on the noxious weed list for Florida.

I live in Washington, PA where this grows wild. I was having a continuous problem with it until I found this site. I just wanted to let everyone know who is trying to get rid of it, in a previous comment someone said vinegar works, and it does. After only about 2 hours the leaves started changing and today it is dead!

I love this plant and I don't mind trimming it back every once in a while. It's so hardy and easy to grow secondary plants from just a clipping placed into the ground. It covers my brick wall at my front entrance, making a lovely greenery surround for the rest of my front garden. I find it relaxing since there aren't a lot of trees in my area to have a lot of lovely green leaves around me that will turn color in the fall! I also like that the berries attract birds, I always feel better if there is some sort of wild life around me!

I learned about Virginia Creeper when I developed severe blisters on my arms and legs after working in the flower beds of my new house. It took me a few days to figure out why I had the reaction because there was no Poison Ivy/Oak or Sumac in sight. Luckily, I did not need medica attention, however, I did come across a study by Cornell University at this website [HYPERLINK@counties.cce.cornell.edu] that suggested that using acetic acid (vingegar) would effectively dispose of climbing vines. I tried it on Virginia Creeper, and the leaves browned in a couple hours. VInegar was more effective than Roundup on the vines in my flower bed.

This NATIVE vine had no problem killing one of my Canadian Hemlocks. I fell for the foolish notion that because two plants originated in the same part of the world, they therefore must be able to live in perfect harmony. Nonsense.

I can't stand this awful weed, and it is absolutely impossible to get rid of. Shooting Roundup on it seems only to strengthen its resolve. I let it grow in the woods all it likes, but I spend a good deal more time each summer pulling it out of my beds than I'd care to.

I aodre this climber. It has redish fall color and everyone thinks it's poison ivy and steer clear of it all!

This native vine is a very beatiful plant. In southern PA, of the wild-growing vines (Japanese Honeysuckle, Trumpet Creeper, Virgin's Bower, Greenbreir, Poison Ivy, Bittersweet, Wild Grapes, and Carrion Vine), this is one of the least invasive, particularly compared to the evil tree-killing vine from heck, a.k.a. Japanese honeysuckle.

These NATIVE vines, while growing up trees, rarely, if ever, kill the tree (unlike Japanese Honeysuckle), and the pretty leaves provide interest from spring-fall, while the berries are a prime source of food for birds and wildlife (along with the berries of Greenbrier, Poison Ivy, Bittersweet, and wild grapes).... I would reccommend this plant, but only if you're not the type who goes postal and runs for the roundup over three dandelions in your lawn (i.e. not for those who like to have the "perfect" lawn). If you're like me, and define your lawn as the big patch of weeds that you mow on a weekly basis (as opposed to the garden, which is the big patch of weeds you don't mow), then this plant's for you... Especially if you like having birds around in the winter, but don't have time to bother with a bird feeder.

BTW, I have never had any allergic reactions to this plant, and while I used to be slightly allergic to Poison Ivy, I no longer am (built up a resistance from years of accidental exposure), so I let both native vines grow in the woods behid the house for the benefits they provide to wildlife.

This weed is VERY invasive. I had it at my previous home and could not get all of it! In my new home I periodically walk the property spraying with weed killer on any new growth I see of it. It will take over quickly!

I can't get away from this stuff! I moved last year from Philadelphia, PA, where it was battling with English ivy to take over my front yard, to Savannah, GA, where it grows at least twice as fast. When I moved in last June it was threatening to engulf my detached garage like kudzu. Absolutely, positively, do not let it grow near a building. It will climb the foundation and then try to work its way UNDER the siding and keep on going. I am able to knock it down with Roundup but you have to watch for regrowth. If you have long, established vines, trace them back to the ground and cut off the woody stem. If it regrows around the stem, let it get a few leaves and hit it hard with the Roundup again.

This plant is nice for covering certain areas. There are two species, which differs by one major characteristic - one species uses suckers much like Trumpet Creeper to latch on vertial structures while the other species have tendrils to latch on wires or any rough surfaces. The speces with tendrils in the wild here tend to be strongly groundcover with vines where there are woodedge or shrubs even thought they also likes trees that have low branches close to the ground like spruces. The species with tendrils is the most common seen here in the Twin Cities by my eyes, as the species that uses suckers tend to be not hardy here. I wonder whenever the invasive ones in the south have suckers or tendrils? For all other readers, I am also wondering if some of your "virginia creeper" are actually woodbine, Parthenocissus inserta?

I am extremely sensitive to this plant and it causes an intense rash. I was told that it couldn't, but it did. So when I cut it back I use gloves and am careful not to touch the tools by ungloved hand. I tried several kinds of medications, but as with poison ivy, there is nothing that will totally relieve the itch for me, except time. And so, while everyone may not be as sensitive or allergic to it, and it is, I think, a pretty plant, it does create a problem for me in that sense. It grows prolifically up the sides of our home in Tallahassee, Florida.

Mike

I live in central Florida, and I honestly cannot consider this "invasive". It's a strong vine, and pretty, and grows where a lot of other plants refuse. I had this plant growing on my fence. (Where it came from, I have no idea because i never planted it; possibly from bird droppings?)

But it was easily rid--simply use Round Up. Saturate leaves. May need to repeat. But it was gone after that for good.

I would say it's a strong average vine that is drought resistent. Very holiday-looking in the Winter.

For Bonsai lovers, you can very easily turn this vine into something 6 or 12 inches long maximum and will appear to be a smart looking very attractive miniature tree! In fact, you can Bonsai ANY vine you care to, and it will never get any larger than 6 or 12 inches with a thick trunk. Totally cool.

I hate this plant. I have lots of Azaleas planted on the wood's edge, and I spend way too much time pulling it out of them.

I can't give it a negative, since it is native to NC- but very invasive! Never had a problem with a rash, though...BEAUTIFUL foilage in the fall. FYI- the vitaceae family is the grape family- NOT poison ivy, etc. If anyone wants to buy some plants, I also have some KUDZU I can sell you...

Virginia Creeper planted itself along my back fence, and I let it grow to cover it. After it started taking over elsewhere, I decided to take it out. It had other notions. We worked out an agreement that I would keep the big of it ripped out and it wouldn't spread farther.

My information says it is hardy in zones 3-11. Sometimes it has 3, 4, or 7 leaves throughout.

I love this plant, you have to keep it in check but I just love the plant the color and the growth of the plant.

This plant is extremely invasive where I live on the edge of a forest. It often grows side by side with poison ivy around my yard, no thanks to the birds. Although I am allergic to poison ivy, Virginia creeper has never given me a skin rash when pulling it. My roommate isn't as fortunate and has the doctor bills to prove it.

From reading all the comments, I am shocked to see how many problems virginia creeper has caused. I have also come to the conclusion that in the colder zones it does not seem to get out of hand. I has been climbing over the top of our concrete garage since the beginning of time, and we've been here over 20 years. The trunks are as thick as a small child's arm at the base. It has caused no problems and we love it. It tends to grow over our doorway, and dh and myself have to pull or clip a new opening several times a summer, and neither of us have had any reaction to it.

It grows in several other places here, and is not a problem, sometimes presenting gorgeous berries, but the birds don't let them around long.

I have a perennial shade garden (shaded by a large Emerald Queen Maple) about 6' deep by 20' long, and in 1994 I planted a Virginia Creeper in the back of it, centrally, at the base of a 8' tall wooden plank fence. I was forewarned by knowledgeable folk that it would be an extremely aggressive climber and is a sort of cousin to Poison Ivy, but that it would take "rolling around in it for hours" to get the same kind of reaction Poison Ivy is famous for. It's apparent, however, that some people are more sensitive to it than that. Fortunately, I'm not one of them. I've handled it often, gloveless, and haven't experienced any irritation at all. I've also found that Virginia Creeper is far more manageable than predicted, at least in my Zone 4-5 shade garden. I was prepared to battle it to the death if it started to get out of control, but it's simply spread up the fence as intended, and is easy to train. Also, the roots let go easily when I pull up errant growth (it comes up through the Sweet Woodruff every once in a while, though the Woodruff is a thick enough ground cover that the Creeper really has to fight). In eleven years, it hasn't yet gone over the fence or gotten into the maple tree. I've found that a few minutes a week is all that's needed to keep the Creeper in line and growing only where I want it to, and the benefits are great. The birds love the berries, and the blazing fall color really brightens up the shady area it's in. The leaves are beautiful in summer, as well. Compared to other vines and climbers I've experienced, V.C. is just about perfect: not too delicate and not outrageously vigorous.

Nope: it's lovely, but one of those things that will take over the ground and your trees, maybe anything else that stands still long enough. We have much worse invasives here in zone 10a (where many plants that can survive often seem to become invasive!) but this one's bad too. A yard man helped me get rid of the biggest vines - that were overpowering my native buttonwoods - by cutting and immediately spraying the cut base (only) with an herbicide. Of course, some are growing back anyway, but the buttonwoods are leafing out more.

My neighbor bought a nearly dead plant . The store had no idea what it was. She planted it and now it's covering the fence between our yards. The only drawback we see is that the wasps and other stinging insects love it.

While this plant is aggressive, I don't think it could be considered invasive. It has always been in North America. It's no more of a problem than greenbriar, scuppernong, climbing wild roses, etc. (at least it doesn't have thorns).

I love this plant. It turns a cheap welded wire fence into a 6 foot tall 2 foot wide wall of lush green leaves. It makes a terrific barrier between properties. This plant grows fast and is better suited for larger land parcels. Smaller town lots can get overgrown fast .... within a year. We're on 21 acres, so having a barrier to separate us from coyotes on the other side of the fence is the most desirous thing we can provide our land.

Good fences make good neighbors. This plant gives the benefit of a wall for $1/foot. That's 100 times less costly than the alternative. The leaves are beautiful in the spring, summer and fall. The only thing I regret is that they fall in the winter and we're left with only the vine which doesn't provide as much of a wall as we'd like. At least the coyotes stay out and we've found that the skunks are discouraged from digging under the wire fence as they now have to contend with the roots of the vine as well. You can't ask for more from a plant meant for walls and hillsides.

Like many others here, I found out the hard way how horrible Virginia Creeper can be. It grows along my backyard fence here in Ventura, CA, so after a trimming I broke out in horrible rashes wherever my skin was exposed. I know poison ivy and oak very well from past experiences (requiring prednisone) and knew it couldn't have been one of them. Unfortunately, now I must destroy all of these plants because my dogs might be able to pass the oxalate crystals to my skin. Beware - I am pretty sure I touched this plant many times before with no reaction, so the allergy can develop at any time. I think the rash is actually worse than poison oak because it seems to take longer to stop itching.

This weed is very invasive and I hate pulling it because I get scratched by the leaves and have an allergic reaction.

This "Creepy" Creeper is reported to be toxic to a "few". Well I'm one of the "Few". It's as bad if not worse than Poison Ivy. I am sitting here with one eye nearly swollen shut because I unknowingly got exposed to it while mowing around a tree in my yard. Don't grow it! If it doesn't affect you it will still affect other innocents who may visit your property!

Except for some attractive variegated types that are now available, I always laugh whenever I see this for sale at nurseries here in Virginia, as it - like Bittersweet & Trumpet vines - grows in the wild everywhere here.

The prior owners of my home appear to have excelled in planting any & everything invasive right up against the house - honeysuckle, mint, native daylily, AND Virginia Creeper - & after 8 years I am "just" beginning to get a handle on eradicating the creeper, which slinks out from beneath my deck, along the house foundation, & up the cedar siding, which its climbing/twining/fibrous tendrils are ruining.

The only reason I'm leaving this "Neutral" rather than "Negative" is due to the fact that where I've seen it in the wild, it doesn't seem to have the same overpowering strangulation technique as some of the other bad characters, does have attractive brilliant red foliage in the fall, & provides winter wildlife food in the form of small purple berries.

As a native American, it has its right to existence and I will not call a native an invasive. Weed, yes. A weed is a plant growing where you don't want it. And I yearly remove it from the cultivated gardens. You will find it growing beneath trees mostly, because that is where birds drop the seeds. I know many of them are dependent on this natural food. How much healthier to allow some of this plant to grow than to feed them from a crowded feeder where diseases can be spread. But then I am not allergic to this or poison ivy, so I don't suffer from their presence.

I'm trying to achieve a balance with this plant, letting it grow on fences I want to cover while pulling it out of flower beds and out of my trees. Fortunately, it is not widespread in my yard and I am thus far able to keep it in control. I've just begun to recognize its seedlings and I pull them up as soon as they appear to avoid having the vines spread and take root, as they easily do.

The old maxim as I remember it is: "Leaves of three (poison ivy), leave it be. Leaves of five (Virginia Creeper), let it survive," -- meaning that poison ivy should be avoided due to its toxic effects while Virginia Creeper should be allowed to remain as a native plant (my interpretation). From what I have read here, Virginia Creeper seems more toxic to some people than poison ivy. I'm a fair skinned red head and usually react to anything that can cause a rash, but so far I have been lucky in handling Virginia Creeper. I'll be more careful in the future. Thanks for the warnings!

This plant is a negative in my book because I dislike anything that spreads and invades so rapidly and completely. However, I see their draw. It's crimson and shiny foliage is quite attractive.

The woods on my property are a lost cause. There's just too much to get rid of it all. We find very large vines but I'm not sure whether it's virginia creeper or an actual wild grape. Either way, without those thick vines, there's enough definate virginia creeper around. I'm rather appalled to see this plant so widely available and advertised in retail.

Good for fences if you have a lot of room and it poses no risk to make you do extra work to clear it from unwanted areas. I don't know who would plant it in a pot or something because it may cause "contact dermatitis" or so I'm told.

My friends house backs up to a natural area and the VA creeper had creeped into his vegatable garden. Knowing it was a native, non-invasive vine in this area, I told him I wanted some for my fence. We didn't have any luck transplanting it even though we did it pretty carefully. He touched it with his bare hands and did not experience any reaction.

There really isn't any place that sells this material locally. I know you can order it, but the only place I've found to get it is from the fence that runs alongside the interstate. And that's not the ideal garden center.

Fast grower and nice color, even here. But don't use it if you like neat and manicured. If you like wild and natural and have a good space for it away from people that would touch it, you might find it to be useful.

This plant is very invasive, and when it finds a telephone pole, it climbs like nobody's business. I used to be afraid to touch it, kind of like Chicken Little and the leaf, because I thought that it was poison ivy. It turns brilliant red in the fall.

Edit as of 19 Dec. 2005: I think I should change my rating from neutral to positive. I have not seen any of the evil side of it in 2 years of observation; it covers things well and in a short period of time, growing about 60 cm higher per year. Its foliage is visible from far away, and it produces berries that feed birds.

This plant is running rampant in our back yard, with runners up to ~20'. Strongly negative experience :)

I had no idea it was toxic, by the way. I was pulling some out with my bare hands for a while (with no reaction.) I think I'll stop doing that.

Beautifull and strong. Here in central Ca. there are many microclimates and creeper is a survivor. This is `The Digger Pine Zone Belt` and our native plant selections are unusual and hardy. Our soil is poor and must be heavily amended.

This vine grows all over my brick house, and I just love it. It keeps the house nice and cool in the summer, and sticks well to the bricks without damaging them in any way. The birds nest in it, and when the wind blows the sides of the house ripple like the ocean! It's terrific!

It wasn't until I began yanking long trailing/burrowing vines of this off of the ground and out of the trees it was strangling that I discovered that I would have a severe reaction to this plant. I kept thinking that somehow poison ivy was the cause, but like the other responder a note or so before mine, I hadn't been IN any poison ivy, oak or sumac! Then I found this site and decided that the culprit had to be this Virginia creeper!

I think I will have permanent scarring, also. I fought with it for several weeks, trying to kill it with Zanfel (to wash away urishiol), but it wouldn't go away...so I finally resorted to a Medrol dose pack by MD prescription...and Claritin (OTC) for the itch. Benadryl hadn't touched the itch. (No pun intended.) I now have large dry scabs and surrounding reddened areas on my arms and legs and look rather like a leper. BEWARE!

Who would want this plant to grow in their trees? It will eventually kill them!

Hello, All;
We live on 2.5 acres of primarily wetland. Included in the acreage is a 1/4 acre pond. I had noticed the beautiful vines that grew up the trees on both sides of our pond and noted that over the past two years it had become quite prolific on the house side of the pond. During early Spring I decided to 'train' it over a fence my husband had built. I did this without any problems and the vine seemed to really like it's new space.

Two weeks ago I noticed that off shoots of this vine were growing up my Willow tree and so put on my gloves and began pulling it down. By the next day my right hand and arm was covered with a burning itching rash; by that evening it had 'jumped' to my left hand and arm. I did not make the connection that the vine I had pulled down was what caused the rash. I thought I had somehow gotten into poison ivy or oak...but, I simply couldn't believe that because I'm pretty alert to that stuff and I have never found any growing on our property. But, I went back out and checked and still couldn't find any plant even remotely resembling poison ivy or oak.

I decided to research on line and found this web site forum. After reading some of your posts, I realized that what I have out here is indeed Virginia Creeper--and lots of it, I might add. I researched and found some info on this plant's defense mechanism. The offending substance is Oxalate Crystals also known botanically as 'raphids'. As a nurse, I know that oxalate crystals are the same substance that causes the formation of kidney stones. These microscopic particles are like needles pressed together. No wonder the rash is so horribly painful...and now I am thinking that the normal treatment for poison ivy/oak/sumac with their urishol oils will not work for a dermititis caused by the Virginia Creeper raphids.

I'm on my third week with this rash and finally went to the doctor for a corticosteriod shot and a dose pack of prednisone. I'm hoping this will relieve the itching and swelling. I think though that parts of my arms and hands will be permanently scarred. As for the Creeper....well, I believe in making love and not war...so, the vine stays. We'll work on keeping it under control but not sure how. Do you think this type of vine can be burned? I won't put any toxic chemicals on my land for any reason...so, if anyone has a suggestion as to how to better control Virginia Creeper I'd be interested.

I want also to thank all of you for posting such wonderful information...I hadn't intended on becoming a member, but after perusing this site I have decided that this is a great way for me to learn from some really knowledgeable folks!

Thanks.

A portion of my woodlot is a 2 acre yard that I'm returning to a forested state. The other day I noticed that a black cherry tree on the edge of this area was almost completely covered on one side by Virginia Creeper from the base to about 40' off the ground.

I placed a 32' extension ladder against the tree and stripped the leaves and vines off the tree to a height of about 25'.

BIG MISTAKE! I was wearing gloves, long pants, and unfortunately a short sleeved shirt. Everywhere this plant touched I've got welts, especially where my wrists touched the portion of the ladder which touched the leaves. A trip to the emergency room seemed to be in order when my arms started swelling up. I'm taking a 12 day course of prednisone, and Benadryl. It seems to be helping, as the swelling's gone away, and the blisters are no longer oozing but the itching is intense.

This plant is extremely invasive and seems to be very shade tolerant. The vines are able to travel well into shaded areas until they find a tree trunk to climb. When they break out into sunlight at the top of the canopy they leaf out in a spectacular fashion. Some trees with this infestation seem to have dead limbs as a result (locusts and black cherry), and some don't (oaks).

Monsanto recommends spraying a 1-2% solution of round up pro with a 5-10% solution recommended for spot sprays. See section 9.3 of
[HYPERLINK@www.monsanto.com]
Multiple applications may be needed.

One source claims that round up or crossbow will kill 75%-85% of the Virginia Creeper it contacts, and that a 1:1 mixture of 2-4-D & and Clarity/Banvel would kill 85-95%
[HYPERLINK@agguide.agronomy.psu.edu]

If this doesn't work I'll contact Monsanto product support on this one, as well as my county ag agent and local university until we find something that does. This plant must go.

My husband and I have spent the past 3 days trying to remove this vile weed from the yard of our new home. We have removed it from only half of the yard... and we are city dwellers... so that means we have a small yard! We are curious if there any any means of removing this weed other than pulling it out and trying to get all the roots.

The roots of this vile weed spread between our yard and the neighbors (on both sides!). It is EXTREMELY established in our block and we see there being NO way that we would be able to get all the roots. Is there a poison or some kind of miraculous Virginia Creeper killing weapon that we can use? We are anxious for any kind of solution people may have for the removal of this vile weed!

I live in 4/5 Z and find many of the more appealing vines are annuals here. I can't beat Virgina Creeper for covering ugly fences with it's green foliage and in the fall the colors are outstanding.

I also have a plant that looks much like Virginia Creeper called Engelman Ivy. You can hardly tell them apart. The Engelman clings better than the Virginia but otherwise, without the tags on them, I can't tell which is which. Fortunately I have no allergy to either and I am glad because I like this vine so well. In climates where it is colder like mine this vine isn't invasive. In fact I have to layer it to make it go where I want it to.

I bought this plant to cover the ugly side walls of my house. It's been 2 years, it's grown alot but it just flops to the ground! I really like the changing colours of this plant, but I'm going to rip it out and replace it with something else to do the job.

The Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia is Zone 6a and Virginia Creeper is common. I planted it against my garden shed to soften the hard edges. It was a small clipping that has been gradually increasing in size for the last 5 years and is only now reaching the top of the shed. It can be invasive but, in my case, planting in deep shade has kept the growth to a restrained level. It is glorious in its fall colour.

We have a telephone pole near our house with a dusk-to-dawn light on it. We wanted to disguise the pole, so we planted Virginia Creeper. Boy, I sure wish I hadn't done it. It goes everywhere, and I have to pull it out like weeds. It even grows up between the cracks of my wood sidewalk. We have found it as far as 40 feet from the base plant. One year, I was so mad that I cut it down at the foot of the pole. Hah! It came right back.

Yes, as some have said, it is pretty, and people think it was very ingenious of us to disguise our telephone pole this way, but every summer, hubby has to climb this long ladder to cut the stuff back away from the light. I live in WV and you would think the winters here would deter it , but it doesn't. I can't imagine how it must grow in the south. I don't think I want to know.

Last week a neighbor tried to remove this Virginia Creeper. After trying unsuccessfully to get rid of it for years, he hitched a tow chain to it, then to his pickup, and pulled on it. He successfully removed 3 fence posts and the chain link fencing from a good portion of his 'cyclone' fence that was 4 foot high.

I guess he was so mad at it he took out a small axe and started to chop it up into small pieces; alas there-by giving some of the smaller cuts a chance to live on. Next year, I guess; he might be getting a whole new yard full of them; and bombing the place out too. Or eradicate all the plants in his back yard by using a couple of gallons of round up. It apparently survived the few days of -35 degrees this past winter.

{8^) ; just a thought: Wouldn't concrete or tar would be much easier. *~* Oh! I live in Zone 5a, way up in the Catskill Mountains!

This plant is wrapped around all the hedge bushes in my yard, and is all over a fence next to my garage.

Fortunately, I have had no reaction to it, and have spent a lot of time getting into it. Watch me have a psycosomatic rash pop up after reading all these posts ;)

The vines and roots are pretty brittle, and the thing grows super fast. Roundup hasn't done anything, but kill everything around it. I'm thinking about using fire just as a stress reliever.

Anyone got some agent orange left over from Viet Nam?

I agree with all of you about the rashes. This plant is beautiful, but very TOXIC to me. I was exposed on June 17, 2004. I had on long pants, & evidently it went through the fabric, or I touched the top of my legs while removing my pants and t-shirt. I wore gloves but I got the most HORRIBLE red rash. Some actually turn into pustules.

I had to obtain medical treatment. The area on my arms started on my right arm, and it was a horrible red rash that itched terribly. I then broke out on my left arm in the same way. In fact, the ones on the arms are getting better but they have left scars. My upper legs are still breaking out.

It is growing up a telephone pole on which I have trellised a Blaze climber rose and a Jackamanii clematis. I have gone in with a sponge paint brush and painted the leaves with Weed-Out. It has not phased it at all. I will keep trying
to kill it. One of you said it contains something oxalictis? I do know that I have used Oxalic Acid to remove rust stains from clothing. Is this the same chemical family? Be Well, God Bless, Pray for Peace, I am Egglantinerose

25 yrs ago reaction to & rash from contact with creeper sent me to doctor. Last week I found creeper again growing in shrubs. Wore long sleeves, long gloves, long pants, etc - still got minor rash. Virginia creeper is a menace in Pompton Lakes, NJ .

Very similar comments to others who have tried to eradicate this pest. My 4 year old granddaughter and I have itchy bumps and swollen eyes. I never experienced this reaction in the past to removing vines -- perhaps it is because I have been pulling up the roots quite a lot lately? Again, I don't know how my granddaughter was exposed, unless by contact with my hands when I put sunblock on her before she goes to camp. All in all, a nice looking vine, but too invasive and too dangerous.

I recently came in contact with this plant and now am covered in a rash. The rash is spreading and is worse than my experience with poison ivy. I haven't been able to find much relief for the itching and nothing for the spreading of it. The plant looks beautiful climbing on our brick house, but it is not worth the pain I am going through now.

This plant has sent me to the emergency room more times than I or my pocketbook would care to count. IF you happen to be one of the few who are allergic to this plant (LIKE ME) you should stay away from it completely! If that is not possible then wear long pants, long sleeves, and gloves and make sure the material is thick. Wipe pets down as they come into contact with you, DO NOT remove shoes without either keeping the gloves on or washing hands ASAP after removing them. Remove clothes carefully and put in washer inside out so you don't touch the bad sap.

DO NOT WEED WACK THIS PLANT OR WEED WACK IN PLACES U EVEN THINK IT MAY BE! This can cause the worst all over body rash you have ever known. I do not get Poison ivy but my rash from this plant is EXACTLY like my friends who DO GET POISON IVY. The blisters the itch the red and puffy etc. Also, don't even think of touching it in winter if you break out from this plant (made that mistake once-just once-another trip to the Hospital for shots from big needles and prednisone pills). PS I had submitted another post for this plant but do not see it. Maybe because of flame thrower comment?

For a long time now, I thought that Virgina Creeper was poison ivy or oak and have avoided it at ALL cost. I was told just recently by a real estate agent while looking at a house that it was Virginia Creeper. I was somewhat relieved because I am allergic to poison ivy. I have been in search to find out info about this Virgina Creeper. I have read on sites that it does not cause skin irritation and I have read on others that it can to some people.

Well, after reading the comments on this site, I am in no better shape than I was when I thought it was poison ivy. I do know that it grows in a lot of places in central and eastern Arkansas and in North and Northwest Mississippi. I don't care how pretty it is, if it can make me break out, then it's got to go!! I am thankful for this site and to be able to read about personal experience with Virginia Creeper. Has anyone dealt with this stuff and not broken out?? Who knows, I may not be allergic, but I don't care to find out.

This plant is very pretty in every season. In my 6 a or b garden in Pennsylvania, it flourishes so much so that it comes up everywhere. If you first spot a new little plant, it's easy to get rid of. However established areas are very, very difficult to eradicate. It is extremely invasive.

Two weeks ago, I spent a day pulling Virginia Creeper from the Azalea beds in my front yard. My legs and arms are now covered in bumps and blisters and these dark red patches that burn and are extremely itchy. I have never experienced anything like this before. As a child I had minor problems with poisin ivy, but nothing like this.

I just completed taking a prescription steriod, am taking an OTC antihistamine and using Cortaid topically - nothing seems to be working. It just keeps spreading. I am miserable!! If anyone has used or taken anything that works, I would greatly appreciate the information. I am going back to the doctor's this afternoon.

For years I have thought this ivy was either poison ivy or poison oak, and then someone finally told me it wasn't. Last week I was trimming weeds and pulled alot of this off my fence (without gloves--big mistake!!!) The next day my face was on fire. It went from redness to scabbing, and now I have what looks like dark burnt skin. It never got blistery or oozed like PI. I've been baffled all week as to what plant it came from.

This A.M. I pulled some more of the vine down and it showed up on the top of my hand. I finally decided to do more research online and low and behold its virginia creeper. I've learned my lesson to wear gloves, but talk about an evil plant. I've read all about the oxalate crystals and what can happen. Thank God for websites like this! Thanks!!!!

A few years ago, this came into my yard from the adjoining
yard. I thought that it was a weed and tried to get rid of it, with no luck. My neighbor has it growing out of control to the top of his cedar trees (50' high). It comes up all thru my lawn. I have pulled and dug and chopped large roots of this. It is impossible to get rid of. I have even sprayed it with Round Up and everything around it died, but it flourished. My other neighbor said it causes him to break out in a rash. Said it was poison oak or ivy. It has never bloomed, even tho the color is pretty. As far as I am concerned, it is a very invasive weed.

I was interested to read that this plant can cause a poison ivy/oak type rash - for years I have known that it causes me to have a rash yet I couldn't find any believers. I won't touch it because I have had the rash so bad that I had to have medical treatment. It is beautiful but it is invasive and I would never suggest anyone plant it - anywhere.

We found this plant on the grounds of the University of Oklahoma. Someone has planted it all around some of the buildings there. We found some growing into the Architecture library, it had worked it's way through tiny cracks in the caulking around the old windows. I have had a poison ivy like rash for around a week, which is probably how long the plant has been growing indoors since we never noticed it before. I don't know if it caused the rash but I've never had a reaction to poison ivy yet (Virginia creeper doesn't contain urishol like poison ivy does, but I have found a couple of web sites that say Virginia Creeper can cause an allergic reaction in a few people.)

I'm neutral on this plant, as I'm not fighting it's spread in my yard as some folks are. I know that it can get very thick and invasive and can see the problems that result.
I still love to drive down the road in early Fall and see the bright red leaves.

In my yard, it's vigorous but I wouldn't call it invasive. Personally, I love the plant and especially the fall color. It provides dependable red fall color, which you can't always get in a warm climate.

This plant is HORRIBLE!! I have thought for years that it was poison oak and have been terrified to touch it. I have a bed of English Ivy in my front yard and this creeper pops up all the time. I just pulled one out of some photinia bushes I have and the roots ran for about 15 ft down the side of my house. Once I finally found the main root and I went to pull on it, it snapped in half! The roots are so brittle and break very easily. I live in zone 8b (just north of Houston, TX) and it loves to grow here! Its worse than trumpeter vine!

I have six acres of Virginia creeper, combined with poison oak, and trumpet vine here in Northcentral Florida, Zone 8b, and it seems impossible to get rid of. I constantly tear it from fences, trees, and flower beds. I won't use poisons or herbicides, so have resorted to sheet mulching with newspapers and/or cardboard, overlaid with leaves and/or sawdust, trying to smother it out of my planting beds. Warning, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT plant this plant in any Southern garden, or you will be sorry!

This is a weed in my area. It grows very well and needs to be constantly removed. It is often confused with poison ivy.
It seems to find its way into the yard even though there doesn't seem to be a source.

Very AGGRESSIVE, rapidly spreading beautiful plant. New plants are easily started by root cuttings. Simply cut a hunk of the root and plant it, keeping it well watered... guaranteed it will grow. Survives in either dry or clay soils. Zone 3 Southern Manitoba. Some people refer to creeper as a noxious weed.

This plant is very invasive. It was in our front & back yards when we bought our house 4 years ago, and we have been fighting it ever since. Not only will it climb up trees, but it will also spread across the ground -- sending long runners about 1-2" below the surface. The runners are easy to pull if there is limited growth over them, but otherwise they snap off and start re-growing if you can't get the whole runner out of the ground. This plant is also a very fast grower. We live in the Florida panhandle (zone 8b).

This native, deciduous vine is hardy from zone 3 to zone 9. It can easily reach a height and spread of 30 to 50 feet or more. The leaves are reddish as they emerge then become green. In autumn, Virginia Creeper is one of the first plants to change color. The fall color is bright red.

Blooming from June through August the insignificant greenish, clustered flowers are followed by blue fruit from August to February that are at least noticeable if not ornamental. The berries are a favorite of birds, mice, skunks and chipmunks. Virginia Creeper is considered to be a very drought resistant plant and will grow in a variety of soils and light conditions.