Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Virginia Creeper on Oak
A blaze of red climbing through autumn light.
Five-leaflet vines ascend the trunk, their color deepening from gold to crimson. • Size: 6080x4053
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 640 • Aperture f/5.6 • Shutter 1/200 s
Habitat: Woodland edges and forest understory, often climbing trees or fences
Leaves: Compound, with five serrated leaflets radiating from a central stem
Stems: Climbing by tendrils tipped with adhesive pads
Fruit: Small, round blue-black berries on bright red stalks, ripening in late summer to fall
Color: Green through summer, turning scarlet and crimson in autumn
Description
The Virginia Creeper is one of the most widespread native vines of eastern North America.
It climbs by tendrils, not by rootlets, distinguishing it from poison ivy.
In autumn, its leaves ignite into scarlet, copper, and wine-red hues, draping tree trunks and fences in color before the canopy above begins to fade.
Virginia Creeper Berries
Bright red stems and dark fruit mark the turn of the season.
Clusters of blue-black berries form against scarlet and fading green leaves. • Size: 6080x4053
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 10000 • Aperture f/13.0 • Shutter 1/60 s
Virginia Creeper Detail
The transition from green to crimson beneath rain-wet leaves.
Water droplets linger on the compound leaves and ripening fruit, catching the overcast light. • Size: 6080x4053
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 10000 • Aperture f/13.0 • Shutter 1/60 s
A flash of red before the forest settles — the vine’s brief claim to the canopy.
References
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region
- Minnesota Wildflowers — Parthenocissus quinquefolia
- Personal field notes, Lakeville, MN (2025)
Related Pages:
Trees • Ferns • Wildflowers