Virginia Creeper

Q. I have a garden area getting about a half day morning sun until the sun crosses over the top of my 3-story house. I am thinking of getting rid of my Burford Holly which were supposed to grow tall and flank my back door and replace them by moving my Virginia creeper from the shaded deck to where it could train over and around the door. Can you supply any information to assist my decision?

A. Virginia creeper:
Native woody vine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) of the family Vitaceae (grape family) tall growing and popular as a wall covering in the temperate United States. It has blue-black berries and clings by disk-tipped tendrils some branches hanging free in graceful festoons. The five-fingered leaves-brilliant yellow to red in the fall-are sometimes confused with the three-fingered poison ivy. The Virginia creeper belongs to the same genus as the Boston or Japanese ivy. Other names are American ivy woodbine and ampelopsis.

Virginia Creeper [Parthenocissus quinquefolia] Family Vitaceae

Characteristics:
* A climbing vine.
* Leaves fan-compound with 5 leaflets rarely 3-7 leaflets.
* Leaflets dull toothed arranged like spokes on the stem.
* Tendrils long disk-tipped with several branches.
* Twigs hairless buds scaly.
* Flowers small greenish clustered.
* Fruits blue berries.
* Height: Can climb several stories.

Natural History:
* Flowers June - August.
* Fruits August to February.
* Habitat: Woods thickets and walls.
* Range: Eastern half of the United States. Ag. Zones 3-9.
* Berries of the Virginia Creeper are a favorite of birds mice skunks and