Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

These two species are quite similar so both are presented together. The common names "Woodbine" and "Virginia Creeper" have been applied to both of these species. To differentiate, P. vitacea, commonly referred to today as "Woodbine" should be called 'Grape Woodbine' and P. quinquefolia referred to as 'Virginia Creeper.' Flora of North America, USDA and the U of M Herbarium follow this convention as does now the MN DNR on their plant survey list.

Stems: Both species are perennial woody vines that climb. P. quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper) climbs via many-branching tendrils that have adhesive disks at the ends. It can reach to 60 feet. Stems are green when young becoming dark brown and rough with age. As a tendril touches a bit of brick, stone or other solid surface, each knob flattens and becomes a mucilaginous disk that adheres to the surface. For such a small disk, the attachment is strong and solid, requiring some force to remove it. P. vitacea (Grape Woodbine) climbs by tendrils that have few branches, twining tips and no adhesive disks at the ends. It can reach to 30 feet by twining around another support. Stems are green when young becoming brown to reddish brown with age. Tendrils of both emerge opposite the leaves.

Leaves: Both have alternate palmately divided leaves with 5 coarsely toothed leaflets radiating from a common point, with long grooved leaf stalks. The leaflets have pointed tips and wedge shaped bases. Those of P. quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper) are dull green on top and those of P. vitacea tend to be more shiny on top.

Inflorescence: The inflorescence of P. quinquefolia is a divergently branched cluster, usually longer than wide, that has a distinct central axis. P. vitacea is dichotomous, that is, branched into two somewhat equal forks, sometimes 3, without a distinct central axis and usually wider than long. Both have inconspicuous greenish flowers but P. quinquefolia will have 50 to 150 flowers in a cluster and P. vitacea has considerably fewer - 10 to 60. Both appear on the current years growth opposite the leaves.

Flowers are bisexual, small, 1/4 inch across with 5 stamens with yellow anthers extending beyond the 5 yellowish-green reflexed petals which have a triangular shape. The calyx is cup-shaped with lobes (sepals) shallow and barely noticeable. The style is short and conical shaped. There is usually a nectary at the base of the ovary, from which rise the stamens.

Fruits: Flowers mature to a bluish-black berry resembling a small wild grape, that contains one to four seeds; light brown from P. vitacea (Grape Woodbine) and dark brown from P. quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper); fruits hang on reddish stalks. Woodbine berries are larger - 8 to 12 mm, while Creeper berries are 5 to 8 mm.

 

Habitat: Both species need sunlight to do well. In shade, flower production will be minimal or absent, but the foliage will still look good, but fall color will be much reduced. Soils should be of good quality with wet mesic to mesic moisture conditions. Stems that trail on the ground can root at the nodes.

Names: The genus name Parthenocissus, is a contrived derivation from two Greek words - parthenos, referring to 'virgin' and kissos, referring to 'ivy' and somehow then attached to Elizabeth, the virgin queen of England (after whom the state of Virginia was named) and carried forward in the common name of Virginia Creeper. "Quinquefolia" is Latin for five leaves, referring to the 5 leaflets of the leaf. "Vitacea" is Latin for vine-like. Older names for P. quinquefolia are P. inserta, and Psedera quinquefolia.

The author names for the plant classifications are as follows. For P. quinquefolia, the first to classify in 1753 with the name Hedera quinquefolia was '(L.)' which refers to Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), Swedish botanist and the developer of the binomial nomenclature of modern taxonomy. His work was updated in 1887 by ‘Planch.’ which refers to Jules Émile Planchon (1823-1888) French Botanist, teacher and head of the department of botanical sciences at Montpellier University. His most famous endeavor was saving the French vineyards from the Phylloxera by introducing American vines into France to graft as rootstocks. He was assisted in this by Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet and American entomologist Charles V. Riley.

For P. vitacea, the first to classify in 1893  was ‘Knerr’ which refers to Ellsworth Brownell Knerr (1861-1942), American Botanist, born in Rochester MN and died in Portland OR. He is the classification author on a number of species found in the central U.S. He was affiliated with the Kansas State Historical Society. His work was updated in 1894 by ‘Hitchc.’ which refers to Albert Spear Hitchcock (1865-1935) American botanist and agrostologist (one who studies grasses). He worked for USDA, authored more than 250 works, including the important Manual of the Grasses of the United States.