Leaf guide › Vines
Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
The crimson vine climbing tree trunks, stone walls, and fences.
- Fall color
- RedPurple
- Turns
- Early
- Leaves
- Alternate along the vine
- Size
- Leaflets 2–6 in. long
- Found in
- New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Great Plains
How to recognize it
- Five leaflets that spread from a single point, like fingers on a hand.
- Leaflets toothed along the upper half.
- Climbs with tendrils tipped in small sticky pads.
- Dark blue berries on red stems in fall.
Where to find it
Look for it climbing tree trunks, stone walls, fences, and buildings, or running along the ground at the edges of woods.
Easy to confuse with
Worth knowing
Birds eat Virginia creeper berries, but they are toxic to people. The vine is harmless to touch for most people, which makes telling it from poison ivy worth learning.
Common questions
What color does Virginia creeper turn in fall?
Virginia creeper turns crimson to deep purple-red, and once the leaves turn, its dark blue berries on red stalks stand out.
When does Virginia creeper change color?
Early. It’s often one of the first plants to color, while the trees it climbs are still green.
How can you tell Virginia creeper from poison ivy?
Poison ivy: Three leaflets, not five. The vine is covered in hairy roots. Virginia creeper: Five leaflets that spread from a single point, like fingers on a hand.
Where does Virginia creeper grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in New England & New York, the Great Lakes & North Woods, the Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, the Midwest, and the Great Plains.
See where the color is peaking today.
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