Our protagonist today is a magnificent climber: the virgin vine. Resistant to drought and frost, rustic, and if that were not enough, produces fruits of a very beautiful bluish color. These begin to ripen towards the end of autumn, but the fruiting period can last until well into December, even until Christmas. Of course, they are not edible.
The scientific name of the genus is Parthenocissus and, although there are about 10 different species, the best known are the Parthenocissus quinquefolia whose leaf is composed of five leaflets, and the Parthenocissus tricuspidata whose leaf is simple, without dividing, but nevertheless has three points at its bottom, hence it is called tricuspidate. Would you like to know more about this beautiful plant?
The origin of the virgin vine is in Asia and North America reaching Mexico. They are climbing shrubs, deciduous, which can cover buildings and tall houses up to 7-8 meters in a few years. It has a very fast growth, and its great adaptability to different climates and types of soil have made it the quintessential climber of many botanical and private gardens.
Also, if you are looking to create contrast in your garden but you live in a Mediterranean climate, The virgin vine is one of the few plants that manages to turn a deep red color in autumn in this type of climate., thus making that station even more beautiful.
As you can see in the photograph, it is a climber that it does not need supports to grow. She grabs herself in the smallest hole she can find in the wall, and thus manages to grow and reach such high heights.
In gardening it is used to cover walls, walls, lattices ... It can even also be used as a hanging plant, or as a bonsai thanks to the fact that its trunk is, unlike other climbers, woody. It can be pruned whenever it is considered appropriate, preferably at the end of the summer when it loses the leaves.
What do you think of the virgin vine?
SO, VERY PRETTY CLIMB AND I WANT ONE, BUT I CAN'T GET IT ANYWHERE.
I WENT TO THE MARKET IN XOCHIMILCO (MOTHER JUNGLE) AND NOBODY KNOWS HER, I ASKED FOR PARRA VIRGEN AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. OR WILL I HAVE TO ORDER IT BY ANOTHER NAME? OR YOU WILL KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND IT HERE IN THE DF OR METROPOLITAN AREA. THANK YOU.
HELLO NATALIA, I'M TRAVELING THROUGH CHICAGO AND HERE IT IS VERY COMMON TO SEE THIS CLIMB EVERYWHERE. I ALSO LIKE IT A LOT AND I COLLECTED SEVERAL OF ITS SEEDS TO TRY TO TAKE IT TO MEXICO, IF I SERVE IT I COULD GIVE YOU SOME SEEDS.
hello good morning, sorry, did you succeed with the seeds?
Hey.
If you do not know it by the name of virgin vine, you will most likely find it in online nurseries.
A greeting.
THANKS FOR THE DATA AND FORGIVENESS FOR ANSWERING SO LATE, AND IF I ALREADY BUY SEEDS ON THE INTERNET AND I'M GOING TO BEGIN THE STRATIFICATION, HAVE IT HAPPENED, I WILL TELL YOU IN A FEW MONTHS. THANK YOU.
Hello Natalia.
Good luck with those seeds. If you have any questions, you already know where to find us 🙂
Hello, good afternoon, where did you buy your seeds and I wanted to know if you were successful, thank you very much
Hello, Gerardo.
Virgin grape seeds can be easily found on sites like eBay. Then they only have to be sown directly in a pot, keep the substrate moist and wait for them to germinate, something they will do after 1-2 months at most.
Greetings 🙂.
Thank you very much Monica, I had thought about it, but there is no problem buying seeds in other countries, I was able to find it in the free market, but how will they not sell me an ordinary vine? Excuse me, this type of plant bears fruit as I have read truth?
Hello again, Gerardo.
Forgive the question, but where are you from? I ask you because depending on the country you are, then yes you can have problems with Customs, so it is advisable to look at an online store in your country.
If they are serious and professional, they will not sell you seeds from another plant 🙂.
Regarding your last question, yes, its fruits are edible.
A greeting.
Hello, I'm from Mexico, I have already ordered them on eBay, but they arrive in a month, I hope this does not damage them, thank you very much for your attention
Don't worry, when they arrive, put them in water for a day to hydrate. That way they will germinate sooner. Greetings and thank you.
Are its leaves edible?
Hello Mercedes.
Yes, they are edible.
A greeting.
HELLO, ME AGAIN. I DID NOT HAVE LUCK WITH MY SEEDS. AFTER NINE MONTHS. I DO NOT SPROUT ANYTHING. I TRIED THREE TECHNIQUE. 1.-IT WAS TO SOAK THE SEEDS FROM 24 TO 48 HRS. THEN PLACE THEM IN THE SUBSTRATE THAT THEY SEND YOU, MOISTURE AND PLACE IN THE REFRIGERATOR IN THE LOWER PART AND WAIT FOR THEM TO SPROUT. 2.- I SAW ON THE INTERNET THAT BY MOISTENING A PAPER SCREEN AND DUSTING THE SEEDS WITH GROUND CINNAMON AND COVERING WITH ALUMINUM PAPER AND PLACING THE REFRIGERATOR. 3.- BUY PELLETS IN HOME DEPOT THE HIDRATE PLACE THE SEED PLACE THEM IN A BOX WITH A MESH SIMULATING AN IVERNADERO AND NOTHING. BUT I DON'T GIVE UP, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, TO SEE IF SOMEONE HAD LUCK AND HOW YOU DID IT. THE NAME OF THE PLANT AND HOW THEY KNOW IT IS: PARRA VERGEN, BOSTON IVY, IN LOVE WITH THE WALL, Parthenocissus tricuspidata. PARRA VIRGEN. THANK YOU
Hello Natalia.
I'm sorry it didn't work for you 🙁, but it's funny they didn't. It is likely that they were not viable.
Where did you get them? On ebay there are very serious sellers, like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boston-Ivy-Vine-Seeds-Parthenocissus-tricuspidata-30-Seeds-/291707985079?hash=item43eb269cb7:g:QZ4AAOSwPhdU~xOJ
A greetings.
Hello… is it possible that I grew up alone? I bought land, I planted another plant and next to it grew a nice little plant similar to this one!
Good afternoon from Malaga. I have my house covered with a wonderful virgin vine. It is also spreading across the roof. My question is can you lift the tiles?
Thank you very much
Hi Lucia.
No, it cannot lift tiles. Don't worry 🙂.
A greeting.
Hello, I would like to know if it is necessary to put it in a large pot when it grows a lot. I want one of those to get rid of my peeping neighbors but my house has concrete on the floor and I don't have a place to plant, I would need a pot but I don't know what size because I don't know how big the root and stem can grow. Greetings from Mexico.
Hello Oscar.
The bigger the pot, the better, but if the plant is young it is better to change it little by little to avoid overwatering.
Still, the last pot should be at least 50-60cm in diameter.
A greeting.
Hello, what a good article I wanted to ask you if this climber can occur in a warm climate?
Hello Caroline.
If the temperature drops below 0 degrees at any point, yes. 🙂
A vicious.
HELLO:
I AM FROM CONCEPCION DEL URUGUAY - ENTRE RIOS - (ARGENTINA)
I HAVE 1 VIRGIN PARRA AND THIS BEAUTIFUL ... IT GROWS FAST AND IN THESE DAYS THE LEAVES ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO GIVE REDDISH COLOR ... VERY PRETTY.
IF YOU WANT, WRITE ME TO MY EMAIL AND I WILL SEND YOU PHOTOS, THANK YOU
Hello Monica, I live in Querétaro Mexico, is this plant suitable to grow with direct sun and hot weather?
Hello Karen.
No. The virgin vine needs a temperate climate (mild summers and cold winters with frosts) in order to survive.
A greeting.
Hi everyone. In Mexico it is also known as Llamarada, because it turns red in autumn. I had it for a while and I found it without problems in León. I'm just going to buy some now in Mexico City. I already tell you. Greetings
Hello, I have one of almost 15 years old house in a forest in Hidalgo, Mexico, but I want to put it in other places, can cuttings be taken? or does it only reproduce by seed? I brought her from Madrid
Let's see: This article indicates, without showing any doubt, that the fruits of Parthenocissus quinquefolia are edible. I have consulted a page that states that it is "not completely free of poison," and points out the toxic agent and the symptoms it causes. The existence of articles in which the toxicity of the fruits of this species is warned, makes it necessary to mention that some authors consider the species as slightly toxic. You can't just say it's edible.
https://www.poison.org/articles/virginia-creeper-and-wisteria-toxicity-192
Hey.
You're right. It is already corrected.
Thank you very much.