Parthenocissus quinquefolia
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 98' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (common name: virginia creeper)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Stored seed requires stratifying for 6 weeks at 5°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible[1]. Germination is variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm taken at a node (ensure that it has at least 2 true buds), July/August in a frame[2]. Easy to root but they do not always survive the first winter[3].
Basal hardwood cuttings of current seasons growth, 10 - 12 cm long, autumn in a frame[1].
Layering[1]. Plants often self-layer[4].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture retentive fertile soil[1]. Succeeds in most soils, preferring full sun but tolerating semi-shade[4]. Best if grown in semi-shade on an east or west facing wall[1]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[5].
Dormant plants are hardy to about -25°c[1], though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
A very ornamental plant[6], it is self-supporting on walls by means of adhesive tendrils[7][3]. Very fast growing, though it often does not grow very much in its first year or two after planting out[4]. When established, it can send out new growth 6 metres long in a year[5]. The plant can, however, become a nuisance by climbing into gutters[3]. Plants are very tolerant of trimming and can be cut right back to the base if required to rejuvenate the plant[4]. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring[8].
The fruit is normally only produced after a long hot summer[8].
There are several named varieties[3].
Range: Eastern N. America - Quebec to Florida and Mexico. A garden escape in Britain.
Habitat: Woods and rocky banks[9].
Edibility: Fruit - raw[10][11]. The fruit is not very well flavoured, nor is it produced very freely[K]. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter[1] and is carried in small bunches like grapes[K].
Stalks - cooked. They should be peeled and then boiled[10][11]. The stalks are cut, boiled and peeled, and the sweetish substance between the bark and the wood is used for food[12].
Root - cooked[12].
Medicinal: The bark and fresh young shoots are aperient, alterative, emetic, expectorant and tonic[13][14]. A hot decoction can be used as a poultice to help reduce swellings[12].
A tea made from the leaves is aperient, astringent and diuretic[15]. It is used as a wash on swellings and poison ivy rash[15][12].
A tea made from the plant is used in the treatment of jaundice[15][12].
A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea and diarrhoea[15][12].
The fruit is useful in treating fevers[5].
Usage: A pink dye is obtained from the fruit[13][14][12].
The plant can be allowed to fall down banks and make a spreading ground cover[4]. They are best spaced about 3 metres apart each way[16]. They are very vigorous, however, and would soon swamp smaller plants[K].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Skin contact with the leaves in autumn can cause dermatitis in some people[15].
The tissues of the plant contain microscopic, irritating needle-like crystals called raphides[17].
Also Known As: Ampelopsis hederacea. Hedera quinquefolia. Vitis hederacea. V. quinquefolia.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.