Virginia Creeper - Friend or Foe

I have been both encouraged and warned about plainting Virginia Creeper along a picket fence in my yard. Some have said it is invaisive others have told me it is not in my area.


The Maryland Native plant society says it is not invasive, but they say a Trumpet Vine is also not invasive.

I had a Trumpet Vine at my last house -- even when we eventually removed it, it just kept coming back and tried to grow in various places around the yard.

What has been your experience with this plant in the Washington DC area??


This message was edited Jul 27, 2007 11:50 AM

This grew on the front of my old house and all I ever did was pull some of the longer vines down to prune it back a bit every 3-4 years. I just stood on the ground and pulled and clipped them back. It was a three story house and that was easiest. I probably didn't really need to do that.

It's nothing like trumpet vine, wisteria or English ivy as far as spreading. It is a native plant here and grows in the woods around me. Every now and then I get a seedling sown by the birds but they're easily pulled up. Not like ivy, wisteria or trumpet vine, which would continue to spread by the roots left in the ground. I never saw a single self sown seedling at my old house.

BTW, it's my understanding that an invasive plant is a foreign plant and native plants are never invasive. But I know what you mean - does it spread all over and become a problem.

It never did spread at all at my old house and it never has here. The birds love the berries and the color in the fall is glorious.

Oh, and it clings by tiny little fingers that don't damage what it's clinging to like English ivy's thick root like things either. Nor does it become heavy enough to damage structures like wisteria.

Baxter,

The Virginia Creeper is the vine of choice growing all over those noise barrier walls along all the highways.
Next time you drive the DC beltway, take a look.

Gita

I didn't realize till this year it was what was growing ALL over the fence. It's not a bad looking plant except that it does SPREAD and I have other things I'd rather have in those areas. Does send out runners but is not difficult to pull up.

Are you sure that's Virginia creeper, Chantell? I've never seen it spread by runners. Or it could be seeding itself and you're mistaking it for runners.

It does grow to be a very, very long vine and that might be a bit much for a smaller fence. It's not difficult to remove. Just chop it back close to the ground, pull the vines off and you'll find the main stems. Dig those up and it won't come back up from any smaller roots left in the ground.

hart - hmmm....I know it's VA creeper b/c I had it ID'd here at DG...maybe I'm using the term "runners" incorrectly...you might be right with just saying vine...all I know is when I started pulling the end of it...it kept popping up from the ground for at least 10 ft and I'm in a townhouse size yard....mercy!!

It's probably rooting along the ground. I haven't seen that but mine was growing up, not on the ground. It really isn't hard to get rid of if you'd rather have the real estate it's taking up.

One of the previous owners had planted English ivy on the privacy fence in the back yard. That stuff is impossible to remove. Then we also figured it was the only thing keeping the fence from falling down. LOL We managed to replace the fence but couldn't get rid of the ivy. Any little piece of root left in the ground becomes a new plant.

Virginia Creeper runs amuck in my neck of the woods.