Hi, I would like to identify the climbing vine I've seen on several buildings around the UBC campus, with an eye towards planting and nourishing the same vine at my home on a bare exterior wall we have next to our front door. Attached are photos taken Oct 30. The first three are of the north side of the Coal & Mineral Processing Lab (2332 West Mall), facing the Horticulture greenhouses. The fourth photo is taken from the same vantage point but facing east, and it depicts the west side of the Frank Forward building. This vine is rooted in beds at the base of the walls it climbs, and seems to be able to cling to any surface. The photos show it growing on metal siding, concrete, and brick. The branches of the vine appear to be attached to the wall with thin, 5-toed "feet" every 6 inches or so; the toes have "glue" spots at their ends (it brings to mind a gecko's feet). The vine produces an abundance of leaves which look like a living, breathing carpet when they are green and a strong breeze is blowing across the wall. This fall they dramatically changed colour from green to yellow, orange and finally red before dropping. Any help would be appreciated, including where to read up on the care and feeding of this dramatic plant. Thanks, Roland
Welcome to UBC forums! Parthenocissus tricuspidata.....common name Boston ivy. Parthenocissus tricuspidata - Google Search Parthenocissus tricuspidata - Wikipedia
@Silver surfer, I'm glad you replied to this, as I'd have said Virginia Creeper, based on the vine covering the Sylvia Hotel near me in the West End, which is the same as this, and which I always thought was Virginia Creeper. And I'm not the only one. See this query for virginia creeper sylvia hotel: virginia creeper sylvia hotel - Bing That common name properly belongs to a different species, Parthenocissus quinquefolia. I actually took photos of the fruits on the Sylvia yesterday before reading this, and I returned to today to make sure the leaves on the other face of the building were the same plant. So thanks, @Roland Schigas - I've learned what to call this now.
