PSC 2620: Woody Trees and ShrubCourse HomeWeek 4

Parthenocissus tricuspidata - Boston Ivy

Plant Viewer
Boston Ivy is a vigorous woody vine that climbs through clinging pads at the end of tendrils. The leaf has three, pointed lobes. The margin of the leaf is irregularly serrated.
The color is an impressive bright red. Blue fruit berries ripen in the fall and have some ornamental value. The berries are persistent, as evidenced by these year-old berries still hanging on the vine.

Plant Description

Parthenocissus tricuspidata is a woody vine similar in appearance to Ivy, from whence it garners one of its common names: Boston Ivy. It is essentially identical to Parthenocissus quinquefolia in its habit and vigorous nature. Consequently, it could also be labeled as an invasive species due to its propensity to over run an area.

The large, thick leaves of Boston Ivy are a dark, lustrous green and have three lobes. Each lobes ends in a point and the margin of the leaf is irregularly serrated. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stems. In the fall the leaves turn an attractive shade of purplish-red.

In the fall, blue berries ripen on the vine and provide some interest into the winter. The 1/4 inch diameter fruit appears in panicles on red stems.

Landscape Use

Because of its ability to tightly grasp a vertical surface, it is well suited for use as a vegetative screen or to soften the side of a building. Care should be taken to provide adequate space for the vine to spread.

Points of Interest

Parthenocissus tricuspidata is perhaps the most famous vine in America - though many people remain ignorant of its identity- as it is the vine that grows along the outfield wall of Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team.