My Deer Garden

Plant record · Vine

Is Virginia Creeper deer resistant?

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Five-lobed Virginia creeper leaves in red autumn colour
Photo by Linnaeus, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 3 of 4 · Occasionally Severely Damaged

Partly. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.

Type
Vine
Hardiness
Zones 3–10
Light
Full shade to part shade
Height
360–600 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
39 US states
Toxic to
dogs and cats

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Virginia Creeper

Five leaflets, which distinguishes it from poison ivy's three, and worth learning since they often grow together. Brilliant scarlet fall color and self-clinging by adhesive pads rather than roots, so it damages masonry less than ivy. Berries are toxic to people.

Protecting Virginia Creeper

Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so decide on the options before it gets browsed rather than after.

  1. 1How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
  2. 2Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
  3. 3Check 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.

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

Where Virginia Creeper grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 39 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Virginia Creeper

Is Virginia Creeper deer resistant?
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged, step 3 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. 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.

Browse from here

Every list Virginia Creeper belongs to.

All vines·Sometimes destroyed·Shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .