Boston Ivy
Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Boston Ivy is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Boston Ivy
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 39 ft tall and 9.8 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 4 years.
When to plant Boston Ivy
Plant Boston Ivy in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 2 varieties
Same plant, same care - pick the variety you are growing.
Good to know about Boston Ivy
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Berries are toxic to people and pets: they hold oxalic acid and needle-like oxalate crystals. Eating them can cause mouth and stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. per NC State and Wisconsin
Worth knowing
It climbs by tiny adhesive disks tipped with glue. A single disk weighs about 0.0005 g yet resists a pull thousands to millions of times its own weight. per Journal of Bionic Engineering
Does it irritate skin?
Sources disagree. Wisconsin says the sap's oxalate crystals can irritate sensitive skin; NC State says it causes no dermatitis. Wear gloves to prune if your skin reacts. per Wisconsin and NC State
Choose the wall carefully
The sticky holdfasts ruin paint, wood, and shingles, and can loosen crumbling mortar. Grow it only on sound brick, stone, or concrete, never on wood siding. per NC State
Brilliant red fall color
Glossy green summer leaves turn brilliant red, burgundy, and reddish-purple in autumn, the crimson-wall look it is grown for. The color is strongest in full sun. per Morton
Fast, aggressive spreader
A vigorous, rapid grower that can smother nearby trees and may spread into unmanaged areas. Containment, not feeding, is the main ongoing job. It tolerates hard cutting-back. per NC State and Missouri
Deer resistant
Listed as deer resistant, and tough besides: it shrugs off drought, dry and poor soil, heavy shade, and black walnut, and works for erosion control. per NC State and Morton
What pairs well with Boston Ivy
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rhododendron
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; low at 5.9 ft, to carpet the ground beneath it.
Maiden Grass
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; low at 5.9 ft, to carpet the ground beneath it.
Boxwood
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Arborvitae
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Douglas Fir
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Eastern White Pine
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Camellia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; shorter at 6.6 ft, an understory layer; they only overlap in zones 7 to 8.
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