Plant ID - 5-leafed vine, probably invasive
June 11, 2018 1:30 PM Subscribe
Hi folks. Any idea what this vine is? It's fairly aggressive and I'm guessing it's non-native, but I can't find anything online. This is in Wisconsin in a backyard.
Best answer: Virginia Creeper is a wonderful native plant for WI, you should keep it and enjoy it!
It turns beutiful colors in the fall, it provides good food and habitat for wildlife, and if you’re so inclined you can make all kinds of stuff out of the vines, from wreaths to arbors.
Also, unlike many vines, it does not damage human structures it grows up, so it can be a used to cover walls and fences.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:51 PM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
It turns beutiful colors in the fall, it provides good food and habitat for wildlife, and if you’re so inclined you can make all kinds of stuff out of the vines, from wreaths to arbors.
Also, unlike many vines, it does not damage human structures it grows up, so it can be a used to cover walls and fences.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:51 PM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
3rding Virginia creeper.
posted by bunderful at 1:56 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bunderful at 1:56 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Love you folks. Not sure why it was so hard for me to ID this one.
posted by Slinga at 2:00 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Slinga at 2:00 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oh wait Slinga, I forgot about false creeper. It's linked from the wikipedia page above, but to clarify:
[False Creeper] is very closely related to Virginia Creeper (P. quinquefolia), differing only in its means of climbing, the tendrils twining around plant stems, not having the sticky pads found on the tendrils of Virginia Creeper. One consequence of this is that (unlike Virginia Creeper) it cannot climb smooth walls, only through shrubs and trees. The leaf shape, and also the brilliant fall colors, are indistinguishable from Virginia Creeper.
So if you want to use it to cover walls, check for the sticky climbing pads first. Shouldn't matter which one it is for other reasons. If it isn't currently climbing on anything, then the pads would be absent from both. In my experience, the True VA Creeper is more commonly seen in urban/suburban areas, I assume because people prefer it.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:07 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
[False Creeper] is very closely related to Virginia Creeper (P. quinquefolia), differing only in its means of climbing, the tendrils twining around plant stems, not having the sticky pads found on the tendrils of Virginia Creeper. One consequence of this is that (unlike Virginia Creeper) it cannot climb smooth walls, only through shrubs and trees. The leaf shape, and also the brilliant fall colors, are indistinguishable from Virginia Creeper.
So if you want to use it to cover walls, check for the sticky climbing pads first. Shouldn't matter which one it is for other reasons. If it isn't currently climbing on anything, then the pads would be absent from both. In my experience, the True VA Creeper is more commonly seen in urban/suburban areas, I assume because people prefer it.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:07 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have that, nice to know what it is.
posted by theora55 at 4:34 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 4:34 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: This turned out to be false creeper--it's got the tendrils.
Thanks everyone!
posted by Slinga at 9:15 AM on June 25, 2018
Thanks everyone!
posted by Slinga at 9:15 AM on June 25, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ReluctantViking at 1:40 PM on June 11, 2018 [4 favorites]