Easy Native Vine for Covering a Fence: Virginia Creeper
- Nuts for Natives
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
High maintenance and high reward!
Having a fence running 75' along the front and 130' along the side of a garden is a lot of planting potential. When I first landed in this garden, I envisioned taking advantage of all that fence line with a series of three vines repeating -- trumpet honeysuckle  (Lonicera sempivirens) for spring flowers, Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) for fall berries and color and native clematis (Clematis virginiana) for fall flowers. I thought I would share how that has all gone!
The front 75' of fence is in full shade most of the day,. The shade is cast by two massive red oak trees planted in the tree lawn, hell strip or verge, depending on your terminology. These soils are dry as the oaks use a lot of the moisture in this area. The western 15' of the front fence gets a good bit of sun in the afternoon. The longer side fence is in full sun alternating with partial sun as it runs beneath mature trees dotted along the side of the garden.
For the first couple of years, when all three vines were doing well, the look when none of the three vines were in bloom was what I would call a contained jumble. Lush certainly but I was not sure I liked it, particularly facing a public street. as I am always mindful of wanting the plants to look appealing to others!
Native Clematis
Native clematis needs roots in cool soil with moisture and its foliage in full sun for flowers. Planting this along a west facing fence wasn't the best idea. Winter winds and summer sun dry the soils so the vine was probably challenged from the start. The first few years, it gave its all but kept getting smaller every year until it succumbed. Since the honeysuckle and Virginia creeper were thriving, the fence line became a series of alternating honeysuckle and Virginia creeper vines. It definitely looked a bit more maintained at that point.
Trumpet Honeysuckle
The trumpet honeysuckle vines quickly grew and thrived wherever there was at least part sun. I planted individual vines every 20 feet or so. I allowed the vines to ramble and encourage new growth to both sides of the planting location by manually twisting the growth around the top fence railing. I also removed any side shoots that were lower than the top of the fence. Over the years the main stems have grown thicker and the vine in sun has flowered profusely. Beneath mature trees it grew more slowly and bloomed less. As it has matured, it has needed less and less pruning - both side shoots growing horizontally beneath the top of the fence and generally. Ultimately, I pruned back the honeysuckle from the shadier areas. There are still vigorous clumps of honeysuckle that bloom beautifully every spring.
Virginia Creeper
I planted very small rooted pieces of Virginia creeper every 20' along the front and side fences. The vine thrived in both locations. Like with the honeysuckle, I removed the side shoots until the vine got to the top of the fence. Then I let it run in both directions. It was not uncommon for a side shoot to develop lower down and run 10 or 20 feet into the garden before I even saw it.
Once warm weather arrives in April, this vine begins to grow. It produces lots of shiny, waxy lighter green leaves that light up even the rainiest spring day. Very beautiful. From April through July, it grows like crazy. Add in periods of rainy days, and it appears to grow daily. To keep this manageable, it is necessary to prune it every week - pretty high maintenance unless like me, you love to prune. Once you get the hang of it, you can really move quickly through it - fifteen minutes or so for the entire run of it. Double that if you have been away for a week. In addition to maintaining the top fence growth, you need to keep an eagle eye on the runners that come out below fence level from spring through fall. They do subside in number as summer wears on. Again, manageable if you are in your garden every week.
The main stems of Virginia creeper can also eventually become quite thick. It is key on a fence to make sure the main stem is not twisting in and among the fence parts as it may eventually damage the fence. Keeping the main stem growing straight up a post is fairly straight forward. Once it begins to grow along the top it should be fine. If you are continually pruning back to the same stem, year after year, that is when it will tend to bulk up. Once you start pruning it, you will begin to see the patterns it is developing.
I did eventually remove the vine from the front fence. It was mostly shaded so it was not developing any flowers and because of the shade, did not get fall color either. Right plant, right place so I kept the longest stretch along the side that does get sun. This ended up being a positive. The sidewalk along the front is much narrower than on the side and removing the vine makes it feel more spacious for passersby.
The benefits of growing Virginia creeper are numerous. Virginia creeper is so easy to grow and if you know someone who has it in their garden, just ask if you can look for some pieces that have rooted in to dig up or cut. Even if you do have to purchase it, you really only need a few small plants to cover lots of territory.
The fall colors are glorious. Some years, it's muted - mauves and grey greens. Others, it is a brilliant red. All depends on the amount of rain and sun in any given growing season. You just have to wait till fall to see what you will get!
The blue berries on coral red stems are striking. They don't last long as birds and mammals eat them quickly but for a short while, it is quite pretty. The berries are high in fat which is especially beneficial for birds heading into winter.
Earlier in the year, the fresh growth in spring and flowers that morph from pale green to white are nice too. The wildlife benefits are extensive. Pollinators are attracted to the flowers. It is also the host plant for a couple of sphinx moths and a generalist plant for caterpillars.
The downside in a garden setting is the vigorous growth. Most sources describe it as a vine growing to 50 feet. That is a big vine! Please also note the berries are poisonous to humans if consumed according to numerous sources.
That all said, Virginia creeper has three seasons of interest and is truly spectacular in fall. And as for those runners or side shoots, every once in a while one shows up in a place where it looks like it will be easier to keep an eye on it and I let it do its thing.
If you can grow the vine in front of an evergreen, like the non-native yews (Taxus baccata) here, the vine will stand out in all the seasons with color, shape and texture contrasts.
You can create some pretty outstanding vignettes with a vine like this. If you have favorite pairings or other thoughts, please do share. While parts of the original planting are now gone, I'm happy to have the Virginia creeper vine thriving in parts of my garden. I freely admit it's a labor of love!
Happy Gardening.
