Virginia creeper Vitaceae Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. symbol: PAQU2 Leaf: Alternate, palmately compound, 4 to 8 inches across, with five elliptical leaflets per leaf, with coarsely crenate to serrate margins, shiny green above and paler below. Flower: Small, not showy, green and borne in clusters on long stems, appear in summer. Fruit: A blue-black berry, 1/4 inch in diameter, borne in long-stemmed clusters, maturing in late summer. Twig: New stems are slender, light brown in color, with numerous reddish lenticels, tendrils are apparent opposite the buds, ending in adhesive pads; buds are broadly conical with orange-brown scales; leaf scars are nearly round and concave. Bark: Gray-brown, becoming coarsely hairy due to aerial roots and tendrils. When rapidly growing, the aerial roots are bright, orange-brown. Form: A climbing vine that may provide ground cover or ascend to fifty feet. Stems may get several inches in diameter. Looks like: Boston ivy - poison-ivy Additional Range Information: Parthenocissus quinquefolia is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting Virginia creeper. More: Fall Color External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database Horticulture © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson