Hi Yippee,

I'm certainly no horticulturalist, but Virginia creepers are quite hardy. Every several years I have to cut them (and the Poison Ivy) out of our trees, to keep them from killing the trees.

But I have to suspect the rainwater in NYC is an irritant for the leaves.

One week ago, my sister and brother in law were here. They live in Virginia. We were walking past some large Virginia Creeper specimens. I asked them what they call them where they live. They responded "New Jersey Creepers"

Tx. for your reply. Why do you think NYC rainwater would be an irritant? Are you saying that the air is dirtier here, and so when it rains all that stuff comes down with it? But then wouldn't it adversely affect my other plants too?

Not necessarily. Each plant has its own individual nemeses. That evil invasive vine on your album sure looks like it could be what they commonly call Chinese bittersweet here. It's not a real bittersweet, of course, but it has orange berries. I have one, given me by a customer, and planted out by my veggie garden. I have trained it to a large standard (topiary). It has flagrant growth, but has never spread anywhere else in nineteen years.

The symptoms on your Virginia creeper are typical of fungal leafspots. These are more common after wet weather and can be made worse by overhead watering. I don't know which diseases you may have in NY, but powdery mildew is one possibility. For many diseases it can be helpful to rake up and compost or dispose of the infected leaves when they drop in the fall; do not leave them laying around the plant where they can carry the disease over to next year.

Best to have someone local give you a diagnosis, either your local extension office or a knowledgable garden store. If someone tries to sell you some bug spray, go somewhere else.

I do have some "Leaf Beetle", metallic blue beetle 1/4 inch long and its larvae, are destroying the VC that I planted as a decorative plant. The females are laying eggs that I have spotted under the leaves and just about every leaflet has two to five eggs, white tiny spheres. The VC is not looking very well with the leaves shrivelled up and full of holes.
What can I do to get rid of the beetle larvae essentially ruining the plant?
Thanks.