I don't know exactly what this new-found plant is, but it is spreading in my darker flowerbeds and along fence lines. Should I worry? I don't find it unattractive or unsightly and I could force it up my house wall for looks with chicken wire alongside my Asian jasmine.
But would you advise to remove it, or is it not too much of a worry? We have ivy that won't go away and chokes some of our taller shrubs in the back, and I don't want a plant that's going to injure another.
I don't know how Virginia creeper behaves in Texas. My experience in Virginia (and here in Maine) has been that it is a "friendly" climber that grows easily and always looks good without any attention, but does not form heavy masses of stem and foliage that try to take over everything in sight -- like, for instance, Japanese honeysuckle. It tolerates heat and drought, and colors early and vividly early autumn -- sometimes starting even in late summer, especially if the weather's been hot and dry. That said, it does grow quickly and can scale great heights. So if you let it stay, it will become a definite presence. Personally I've always enjoyed it, and I've been lucky enough (like you, maybe) to have it pop up in places where a trouble-free, healthy-looking climber fills a gap and adds a note of lushness to the scene.
Thank you, kaspian, that was what I wanted to hear! Our ivy is a great nuisance in both front and back yards, but the creeper hasn't seemed to climb any plants yet so I was hopeful. Even right next to a crate myrtle where ivy twists about, the creeper refuses to touch it. I've been trying to get my Asian jasmine to grow up our wall and fence, but since the creeper grows faster, I'll influence it upwards and allow the jasmine to climb the creeper once it's established.
