Is Virginia Creeper deer resistant?
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Virginia Creeper
Five leaflets, which distinguishes it from poison ivy's three, and worth learning since they often grow together. Brilliant scarlet autumn colour and self-clinging by adhesive pads rather than roots, so it damages masonry less than ivy. Berries are toxic to people.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Average garden soil
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 71 to 118 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Moderate
Similar to Virginia Creeper
Other vines with the same deer rating.
- ClematisClematis sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
- Climbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala petiolarisZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
- English IvyHedera helixZones 4–9Occasionally damaged
- Goldflame HoneysuckleLonicera x heckrottiiZones 5–9Occasionally damaged
- Trumpet CreeperCampsis radicansZones 4–10Occasionally damaged
Protecting Virginia Creeper
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Virginia Creeper grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesotanative
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Coloradonative
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraskanative
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakotanative
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utahnative
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 39 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Virginia Creeper belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Virginia Creeper
- Is Virginia Creeper deer resistant?
- Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Virginia Creeper grow in?
- Virginia Creeper is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 10. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Virginia Creeper grow in shade?
- Yes. Virginia Creeper tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Virginia Creeper get?
- Mature height is roughly 360–600 in. Growth rate is fast.
- Is Virginia Creeper toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Virginia Creeper as toxic to dogs and cats. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.