American Ivy

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

(L.) Planch. Species

Parthenocissus quinquefolia photograph 1

Parthenocissus quinquefolia photograph 2

Parthenocissus quinquefolia photograph 3

Parthenocissus quinquefolia photograph 4

Parthenocissus quinquefolia photograph 5

Parthenocissus quinquefolia photograph 6

Botanical name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Also known as: American Ivy, American-Ivy, Five-Leaf-Ivy, Five-Leaved Ivy, Fiveleaved Ivy, Virginia Creeper, Virginia-Creeper, Woodbine
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Parthenocissus
Flowering period: May
Height: 8–15 m
Spread: 3–8 m
Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H6)
Reference: World Flora Online

How to grow American Ivy

Written by Steve Davis Last reviewed 21 July 2026 Written for UK gardens How we research our guidance

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade

Watering

Moderate while establishing; low once settled

Soil

Any reasonable well-drained garden soil

Soil pH

Acid, neutral or alkaline

Planting

Plant in autumn or spring about 30–45 cm out from the wall, angling the stems inwards and watering well in the first season. It climbs by adhesive pads and needs no wires or trellis. Give it a very large, sound wall — this is not a plant for a small courtyard.

Pruning

Cut back in winter, hard if needed, keeping it clear of gutters, windows and roof edges where it will otherwise lift tiles. It tolerates severe pruning and regrows quickly. Expect to do this every year once it is established.

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in winter both root readily. Layering a low stem is even simpler.

Pests and diseases

Largely trouble-free. Occasional leaf spot or powdery mildew appears in poor summers but does not need treating.

Value to wildlife

The blue-black berries are taken by birds in autumn, and the dense leaf cover shelters nesting birds and invertebrates.

Notes

Grown almost entirely for the scarlet and crimson autumn colour, which is strongest in an open sunny position. The adhesive pads leave marks on paintwork and can pull away weak render, so keep it to sound brick or stone. It self-seeds where birds drop the berries.

Some structured details on this page (such as tolerances, pH and hardiness) come from USDA PLANTS Database (public domain). The written guidance is GardenDecoded's own, researched as described in our editorial policy.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Parthenocissus quinquefolia but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Ampelocissus cirrhata Ampelocissus major Ampelocissus serrata Ampelocissus tricolor Ampelopsis engelmannii Ampelopsis graebneri Ampelopsis hederacea Ampelopsis hederacea var. dumetorum Ampelopsis hederacea var. minor Ampelopsis hederacea var. murorum Ampelopsis himalayana Ampelopsis hirsuta Ampelopsis latifolia Ampelopsis muralis Ampelopsis pubescens Ampelopsis quinquefolia Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. angustifolia Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. dumetorum Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. graebneri Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. heptaphylla Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. hirsuta Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. laciniata Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. latifolia Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. murorum Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. pubescens Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. radicantissima Ampelopsis quinquefolia var. spaethii Ampelopsis radicantissima Ampelopsis radicantissima f. minor Ampelopsis radicantissima var. engelmannii Ampelopsis radicantissima var. graebneri Ampelopsis radicantissima var. saint-paulii Ampelopsis roylei Ampelopsis saint-paulii Ampelopsis saint-paulii Ampelopsis virginiana Ampelopsis virginiana Cissus hederacea Cissus hederacea var. hirsuta Cissus hirsuta Cissus pubescens Cissus quinquefolia Cissus quinquefolia Hedera carnosa Hedera quinquefolia Parthenocissus dumetorum Parthenocissus dumetorum var. laciniata Parthenocissus engelmannii Parthenocissus graebneri Parthenocissus hederacea Parthenocissus hirsuta Parthenocissus hirsuta Parthenocissus inserta Parthenocissus inserta f. inserta Parthenocissus muralis Parthenocissus muralis var. minor Parthenocissus pubescens Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. engelmannii Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. hirsuta Parthenocissus quinquefolia f. minor and 27 more

Others in Parthenocissus

Parthenocissus heptaphylla

Parthenocissus laetevirens

Parthenocissus renukae

Parthenocissus semicordata var. roylei

Parthenocissus dalzielii

Parthenocissus feddei

Parthenocissus henryana

Chinese Virginia-Creeper

Parthenocissus semicordata

GardenDecoded is an educational gardening reference. Botanical data comes from World Flora Online and GBIF; growing guidance is our own. Always check a plant's toxicity and local invasiveness status before planting, and never eat or apply a plant based on this site alone.