Flowers and Plants
Gardening Guides
Grow a Brilliant Seasonal Screen and Feed the Birds With Woodbine
Plant this fast-growing vine to green up a blank spot, add fall color and offer berries for birds
Woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea), a cousin of Virginia creeper (P. quinquefolia), is a fast-growing and sturdy vine that will twine its way over fences and walls and provide summer greenery, fall brilliance, winter architecture and berries for birds. Its dense foliage acts as a seasonal screen and provides cover for birds and other small wildlife. Unlike Virginia creeper, which adheres with mucilaginous pads at the end of its tendrils that can damage wood and masonry over time, woodbine twines its way upward using simple corkscrew tendrils.
Because woodbine is native to canyons, ravines and stream and riverside habitats, it tolerates shade. But for it to develop its brilliant fall color, this vine needs full sun. The flower stems turn red before the leaves begin to change, heralding the shift in the foliage from shiny green to yellow, orange and brilliant red. The berries also provide a touch of color, changing from green to blue and deep purplish. Although the berries may be toxic to humans, they are very attractive to birds, with a high concentration of sugar, lipids (fats) and the antioxidants birds need to stay healthy in fall and winter.
Caution: Virginia creeper berries are potentially toxic to humans; while data are scanty about woodbine berries, they should be considered toxic too. Usually birds eat them so quickly that it’s not an issue, but it’s good to be cautious.
Because woodbine is native to canyons, ravines and stream and riverside habitats, it tolerates shade. But for it to develop its brilliant fall color, this vine needs full sun. The flower stems turn red before the leaves begin to change, heralding the shift in the foliage from shiny green to yellow, orange and brilliant red. The berries also provide a touch of color, changing from green to blue and deep purplish. Although the berries may be toxic to humans, they are very attractive to birds, with a high concentration of sugar, lipids (fats) and the antioxidants birds need to stay healthy in fall and winter.
Caution: Virginia creeper berries are potentially toxic to humans; while data are scanty about woodbine berries, they should be considered toxic too. Usually birds eat them so quickly that it’s not an issue, but it’s good to be cautious.
Benefits and tolerances: Tolerates summer heat and some drought; flowers attract small pollinators; leaves provide shelter for insects and small birds; berries attract birds in fall
Seasonal interest: Shiny green leaflets emerge in early spring, followed by clusters of tiny flowers with greenish petals. cCooling temperatures and shorter days cue the leaves to turn from green to yellow, orange and scarlet; the berries change from green to blue to purplish.
When to plant: Spring in the northern half of its range; fall in the southern half
Seasonal interest: Shiny green leaflets emerge in early spring, followed by clusters of tiny flowers with greenish petals. cCooling temperatures and shorter days cue the leaves to turn from green to yellow, orange and scarlet; the berries change from green to blue to purplish.
When to plant: Spring in the northern half of its range; fall in the southern half
Distinguishing traits. Five leaflets with serrated edges that radiate from a central leaf stem like fingers identify this vine. At first glance, it appears identical to Virginia creeper, but woodbine lacks the adhesive pads at the end of its tendrils that allow Virginia creeper to adhere so easily to vertical surfaces. Also, woodbine’s leaflets are slightly shiny on the top side, while Virginia creeper’s leaflets are dull. New growth is bright green and very flexible; older stems turn brown and gray-brown with fibrous bark, but remain somewhat flexible.
Woodbine’s flowers are unremarkable, less than a quarter of an inch across, with five greenish or yellowish petals. Yellow stamens stick beyond the petals, where they attract small native bees, beetles and flower flies to feed on their pollen. Clusters of 10 to several dozen flowers occur on the current year’s growth, opposite the leaf stems. Fertilized flowers produce fleshy, round berries that look like small grapes and change color from green to blue-purple as they ripen, hence the “grape” part of one of its common names, grape woodbine. Robins, cedar waxwings and other birds seek out the berries in fall.
Woodbine’s flowers are unremarkable, less than a quarter of an inch across, with five greenish or yellowish petals. Yellow stamens stick beyond the petals, where they attract small native bees, beetles and flower flies to feed on their pollen. Clusters of 10 to several dozen flowers occur on the current year’s growth, opposite the leaf stems. Fertilized flowers produce fleshy, round berries that look like small grapes and change color from green to blue-purple as they ripen, hence the “grape” part of one of its common names, grape woodbine. Robins, cedar waxwings and other birds seek out the berries in fall.
How to use it. Woodbine thrives best in full sun, except in really hot locales, where it prefers shade or mulch to keep its roots cool and the soil moist. Because it’s native to shady ravines and riparian areas, the vine prefers moderately enriched soils and regular precipitation, though it can tolerate some drought. In the hot, arid parts of the country, plant woodbine on the north or east side of buildings, walls or other garden structures so that its roots are protected from the hot afternoon sun.
Given a suitable location, woodbine will grow quickly in a few years, covering a fence or climbing the wall of a building and filling out into a green screen. Because it doesn’t have the adhesive pads of Virginia creeper, woodbine may need climbing aids to get started. Use string or fence wire to get young stems going, or affix hooks to walls or siding that the tendrils can clasp.
Vines provide a vertical design element and also serve as “ladder habitat” for wildlife, connecting the various layers of plants: ground covers, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees.
Plant woodbine where the screening effect of the vine will provide summer shade and the brilliant scarlet fall leaves can be a focal point in the garden. The vine stands on its own as a sculptural specimen plant, and also offers a lovely follow-up to summer-blooming beds of flowers. The French impressionist painter Claude Monet planted woodbine’s cousin, Virginia creeper, in his garden at Giverny, both to camouflage his studio and house and for the progression of fall leaf color, from green to yellow to orange to scarlet.
Because of the potential toxicity issues, do not plant woodbine where children and dogs might be tempted to taste the berries — if they find them before the birds do.
Planting notes. Woodbine is easily planted from seed or already rooted plants. Choose a site with moderately fertile, well-drained soil where the root crown won’t be exposed to hot afternoon sun — or mulch around the root crown. For seeds, make sure the soil stays moist but not soggy until the sprout has begun to twine upward as a vine. Woodbine thrives in mesic to rich soils and resprouts readily after being browsed by deer or rabbits.
The vine is long-lived and, if happy, will grow large. Extensive woodbine vines can slowly shade out competing plants, including full-grown shrubs and trees. Prune it back in spring for shape and to keep the vines from growing larger.
More
Care and Training for a Vine-Covered Home
See another native vine with great seasonal color
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Given a suitable location, woodbine will grow quickly in a few years, covering a fence or climbing the wall of a building and filling out into a green screen. Because it doesn’t have the adhesive pads of Virginia creeper, woodbine may need climbing aids to get started. Use string or fence wire to get young stems going, or affix hooks to walls or siding that the tendrils can clasp.
Vines provide a vertical design element and also serve as “ladder habitat” for wildlife, connecting the various layers of plants: ground covers, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees.
Plant woodbine where the screening effect of the vine will provide summer shade and the brilliant scarlet fall leaves can be a focal point in the garden. The vine stands on its own as a sculptural specimen plant, and also offers a lovely follow-up to summer-blooming beds of flowers. The French impressionist painter Claude Monet planted woodbine’s cousin, Virginia creeper, in his garden at Giverny, both to camouflage his studio and house and for the progression of fall leaf color, from green to yellow to orange to scarlet.
Because of the potential toxicity issues, do not plant woodbine where children and dogs might be tempted to taste the berries — if they find them before the birds do.
Planting notes. Woodbine is easily planted from seed or already rooted plants. Choose a site with moderately fertile, well-drained soil where the root crown won’t be exposed to hot afternoon sun — or mulch around the root crown. For seeds, make sure the soil stays moist but not soggy until the sprout has begun to twine upward as a vine. Woodbine thrives in mesic to rich soils and resprouts readily after being browsed by deer or rabbits.
The vine is long-lived and, if happy, will grow large. Extensive woodbine vines can slowly shade out competing plants, including full-grown shrubs and trees. Prune it back in spring for shape and to keep the vines from growing larger.
More
Care and Training for a Vine-Covered Home
See another native vine with great seasonal color
See more Houzz gardening guides
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Common names: Woodbine, grape woodbine, hiedra creeper
Origin: Native across all of North America and extreme southern Canada, except the southeastern United States
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone)
Water requirement: Prefers regular moisture but can tolerate some drought
Light requirement: Full sun for best fall color; will tolerate partial to full shade as well
Mature size: Vines can reach 30 feet long.