One of the most common requests I get when visiting a customer is what will grow on my fence?
Well I know firsthand that both popular vines, Boston Ivy and Virginia Creeper, will cover the fence nicely and without the need for trellises to boot! I have both in my back yard that is surrounded by fence with narrow gardens between fence and the pool we inherited when we bought the house. Both vines provide nice fall colour and both are deciduous and lose their leaves in the late fall.
Here’s my opinion of the pros and cons of both of these vines.
1) Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Virginia Creeper is five-leaved ivy, or five-finger vine, it is a species of flowering plant in the vine family Vitaceae, native to eastern and central North America.
I didn’t plant Virginia Creeper but I “borrowed” it from my neighbour behind me. We are in a corner house so my backyard faces the side of my neighbours’ garage. When we moved in 8 years ago, the vine was covering their whole garage wall, right up the soffits.
I appreciated those few weeks of the vine covered garage. If I had to look at a brick wall in my backyard then it was great to see it covered with green… that is until they had it removed from their house, much to my chagrin.
Well I quickly learned there was no such thing as ‘removing’ Virginia creeper! Pro or con, you decide.
As it grew back with a vengeance, my next door neighbour and I decided to train it over the back and eventually side fence between us. If I had to look at a brick wall, I might as well have a green covered fence!
We were quite successful in a short period of time. The vine filled in nicely but needs constant trimming to keep it in check. You can see at the base of the fence that it even grows on the ground and seems to make a beeline for the pool. Since it is a deciduous vine it does allow for some hard pruning to keep it in check.
And even though Virginia Creeper plants attach to fences and walls with “pads” inside of tendrils, they still do a fair bit of twining and are constantly twining through my Japanese Maple (my one show piece in my virtually gardenless back yard). But my biggest pet peeve, believe it or not, is it also interferes with my ornamental grasses that I squeezed in front of it. It is constantly growing throughout the grass, ‘pulling it down’.
2) Boston Ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata
As for Boston Ivy, I didn’t plant it either. It was already planted in the narrow garden that I inherited along the fence but it was just a small patch and didn’t look like it was going to do much.
Well I guess this story is similar to the tortoise and the hare… as fast as the Virginia Creeper grew the Boston Ivy took its time filling in nice and slowly. It’s much bigger glossier leaves creating a thick matte along the fence attaching itself with similar tendrils as the Virginia Creeper.
So while I spent the last 8 years taming the Virginia Creeper, the Boston Ivy crept up on me and pleasantly surprised me with a nice glossy display.
I have tried to remove the Creeper from the back fence this summer and have let the Ivy fill in nicely. The nice cool spring may have contributed to its great growth this year but it has certainly taken its time.
So good or bad, I am sure when my customers want to know what will cover their fence, they mean now and not in 8 years!
Denise
I have ivy growing on my fence for 20 years, kept up as a living fence.My neighbor is now cutting it off her side so it’s falling off on my side.How can I attach it or what can I do to keep the beauty on my side?Her home has been condemed and wants everything dead, no help through the city.I just please need help to save the ivy
Joanne Shaw
Hi there,
If it is a wooden fence, you can try putting little nails into the fence and creating a trellis of string ( like fishing line that you cannot see) and weave the vine around and between fence and string. The vine will start to twine itself with the support. Hope that helps.
Denisha
Helpful information. Fortunate me I found your web site accidentally,
and I am shocked why this twist of fate did not came
about in advance! I bookmarked it.
laura
was curious how long it took to grow up your wall again? we have a virginia creeper that faces our house on our neighbors garage – and he cut it all down to the root – am curious if it will come back this coming spring and cover the garage again or if it will be a few years
Joanne Shaw
Hi Laura,
It grows pretty quick, especially if it has a good surface to grab onto. I can’t say that it will cover the first year but it will not take years.
Hope that helps,
Joanne
Tana, Allred
Thank you. This was very helpful.
Brittney
Fantastic site. Plenty of useful information here.
I’m sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious.
And obviously, thank you on your sweat!
Tessa
Hi ….how do I stop my neighbour’s Virginia creeper coming over ( OUR) ) fence …& covering our 4
Climates? I have had a word with him….& he has told me to leave it alone !
Thanking you for your reply
Regards…Tessa
Joanne Shaw
Hi Tessa,
That is tricky. Virginia Creeper is definitely aggressive and will take over your clematis. Cutting it back will just make it grow
more. You can try using the creeper as a “living” trellis for your clematis and have them climb through it. Or you can try growing your
clematis on obelisks away from the fence. Enjoy the green background of the creeper but have your clematis growing in front of it but separate.
Adding the vertical flowers at that height is really beautiful in the garden.
Good luck,
Joanne
Irene
Will boston ivy rot my fence and how long could that take or should I not even worry about that I am 74yrs of age ??
Joanne Shaw
Hi there,
I will not rot your fence. And it is slow growing… good luck.
Stacey Hanley
Thanks I have been full of regret for planting Boston over Virginia so your article has helped with the mettifor tortoise everytime for me.I do think Virginia leaves last longer in the fall.
Cheers from Melbourne
D.W. Ham
I ordered some boston ivy as I had it at my last house. The nursery sent be a pot with some boston ivy and allot of vergina creeper. Will I be able to separate the plants and not have the creeper take over?
Joanne Shaw
Hi there, To be honest the Virginia Creeper will take over. I tried that myself and the Boston is slower but nicer and the Creeper just grows over it. I would return to the nursery.
Good luck,
Joanne
Angela
Hi there, Boston ivy is actually an invasive plant while Virginia creeper is a native. Please consider letting the creeper take the place of the Boston ivy, it will be much more beneficial to wildlife!
Sheila Spencer
I’m in the UK and have Virgina Creeper on part of a wall. Last year I decided to use some of the vines to make a wreath but I didn’t have enough at the time so this year i have let the creeper go a bit wild to try again. A few years back my neighbour ripped some that was going over her wall, even though she had previously said she liked it. The creeper didn’t like this so now I prune it properly myself to stop it getting into her garden. She has her own creeper in a different part of the garden. I cut it right back as the leaves drop off to keep it in check. I also cut it if it strays into places where I don’t want it.
Cass
I live in the Rockies at 7200’. Growing at this altitude has
challenged me for decades. I stopped trying to plant things that would turn red in the Fall, as we can usually depend on an early frost that prevents plants getting to the red stage. The one exception is this vine. Ive only gotten to see it turn red twice and this is one of the times.
Luella R
I have one of each of Virginia Creeper and Engleman Ivy. Last year the aphids had a great feast on them. I understood that you can cut these to the ground and they will cone back. So I cut them both, which were several years old…. So far this spring there is no sign of Re- growth. Will they eventually come back.
Also please clarify the difference between these 2 vibes. One self clings, one does not… thanks.
Leanne McKenry
Can Virginia creeper grow in a pot?