Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia creeper covers walls, fences, and slopes with five-fingered leaves through spring and summer, then lights up in October with the most saturated scarlet of any vine in the Mid-Atlantic. There's nothing subtle about it. The color is fire-engine red, and it holds for weeks before the leaves drop. Plant it against a stone wall and watch neighbors ask what it is every October. The small blue-black berries ripen in fall and are heavily used by migrating birds, including thrushes, woodpeckers, and cedar waxwings. It climbs by adhesive disks rather than twining, so it won't strangle supports or trees. Use it where you want fast, dense coverage. it earns its keep with almost no care and gives wildlife benefits that few vines can match.