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I have a friend that claims Virginia Creeper is also known as Boston Ivy and is highly desirable, especially if creeping up a tree and his brick house. My gardener instincts and training tell me he's wrong!! What do you think? I love English ivy but here in west Texas it's allowed to grow rampant in the gardens and becomes a bully.
Hi Jrainger,
You've asked an interesting question, one I had never considered. Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia and Boston ivy Parthenocissus tricuspidata are, let's say, cousins. They are not the same, but come from the same family.
There is a difference in their looks, too, Boston ivy has a trifoliate leaf, meaning it is a whole but has three sections, much like a maple leaf. Virginia creeper has a leaf that has separate parts, not whole. Hard to describe without a photo, and I don't have one handy to send, but you probably could google it or find it in plant files.
Another little difference, if I remember correctly is that VC leaves are reddish when young, then become green. Boston ivy is always a dark green. VC might also grow a little longer in its vining. I have no experience with it, but have heard that Virginia creeper can choke trees, too.
I hope this helps, I haven't had much experience with either, but am vaguely familiar with both.
Oh and one more thing, the creeper has five petals to its leaf, unlike the trifoliates of Boston ivy which only has 3 points and the leaves are not separated into petals.
