# Virginia creeper

*Parthenocissus quinquefolia*

It climbs using tendrils with adhesive pads that secrete a natural cement, allowing it to stick to flat walls without penetrating the masonry.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Vitales › Vitaceae › Parthenocissus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous forests, woodland edges, rocky cliffs, and urban areas
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- **Range:** Eastern North America, Central North America, Mexico
- **Size:** Vines can grow 20 to 30 meters (60 to 100 feet) in length
- **Lifespan:** 20 to 50 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat clearing, herbicide use, and extreme urbanization, though it remains highly resilient.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to look at, but handle with care. The sap contains calcium oxalate crystals which can cause skin irritation; wash skin with soap and water if exposed. Never ingest the berries, as they are highly toxic to humans.

## About

Parthenocissus quinquefolia , known as Virginia creeper , Victoria creeper , five-leaved ivy , or five-finger , is a species of flowering plant in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States west to Manitoba and Utah, and south to eastern Mexico and Guatemala.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/42a36539-35e8-4d5b-b87e-2f8f03e01658
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/50278
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus quinquefolia
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/223281963/medium.jpg (Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.