Love it or hate it? We love it! This native vine, Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), is a wildlife magnet. It is the larval host plant to two really cool sphinx moths, the Virginia creeper sphinx moth (Darapsa myron) and the Pandorus sphinx moth (Eumorpha pandorus), and the plant supports many generalist moth caterpillars as well. Virginia creeper has clusters of tiny flowers in the early summer that attract pollinators, and by the end of the season, there are lots of berries to feed small mammals and birds. Leaves, palmately compound with five leaflets, begin to turn red as berries ripen, lending fall color to the landscape. The vine is attractive growing on trees, fences and arbors and provides good cover and habitat. It can even be used as a ground cover. Yes, the vine can be a bit rambunctious, but it’s easy enough to control by simply pulling it up and cutting it back.
