Susan is also blogging at GardenRant.Parthenocissus tricuspidata / Boston Ivy
Boston ivy is famous for its newly emerged red leaves in the spring and its stunning red color again in the fall. Native to East Asia.
Looks similar to Virginia creeper, but can be distinguished by its simple leaves, compared to Virginia creeper's complex 5-leaflet leaves. Boston ivy is less tolerant of heat and drought than Virginia creeper.
Uses
A fast-grower, it'll cover a wall quickly — in one to three seasons. Surfaces it climbs easily include concrete, brick, stone, wood and trees. If grown up into trees, it can create enough shade to interfere with photosynthesis. Grown on the south and west-facing walls of buildings, it CAN reduce air conditioning costs in the summer without shielding homes from the sun in the winter but if it's grown up walls, it can do damage:
WARNING: If climbing walls, it can be harmful in two ways:
Although it doesn't penetrate the surface of the wall, removing the vine can damage the wall's surface. Instead of ripping it off, severe it from its roots and wait til the adhesive pads deteriorate enough to remove the vines easily.- Its tendrils can and will creep into the cracks around windows and up under eaves, so remove them regularly or train the plant on a trellis mounted a few inches away from the wall.
Details
- Deciduous (leaf-dropping)
- Can grow to 50 feet.
- Sun OR shade, though flowers and berries are more abundant with greater light.
- Long-lived.
- Tolerates a wide range of soils.
- No serious disease or insect problems.
- Though described as hardy to Zone 4, it's not reliably hardy in that zone and will suffer winterburn occasionally. The variety 'Robusta' is the hardiest.
Care
- Water in periods of drought.
- Prune yearly in later winter to control growth.
- On walls, remove the tendrils from around windows and heading up into the eaves.