Plant Library

Other Names:  Japanese Creeper

Description:

One of the most popular of all vines for screening, from fences and arbors to homes and buildings; very attractive three-lobed leaves turn orange and red in fall, small dark blue berries; self-clinging, very tough and adaptable

Ornamental Features

Boston Ivy has dark green deciduous foliage on a plant with a spreading habit of growth. The serrated lobed leaves turn an outstanding red in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Boston Ivy is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This woody vine will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Boston Ivy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Boston Ivy will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This woody vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.