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The Monday Garden, September 19, 2004, Issue 130

Eco-gardening at its best

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The solstice is appropriate to recognize our native woodbine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), a handsome, hardy member of the grape family. One of its common names is “five-fingered ivy”, not for any larcenous intent on the vine’s part, but for the 5 leaflets of its compound leaf. In full sun, it produces dark blue-purple fruit that clearly reflex its grape heritage and contrast beautifully with its red stems.

Picture: Woodbine in fruit at Scalzi Park, Stamford CT, Late August 2004.

Surprised that woodbine fruits? It doesn’t in the shade and it doesn’t when its new growth is trimmed off every year. However, think about how it showed up under the tree in your garden: it had to come by bird-gut, right? And that requires an edible fruit or seed.

The birds, squirrels and other fauna munch the berries up in short order which is another reason why you might have missed seeing the lovely fruit. A number of insects (and of course, deer) feed on the leaves. Sadly, you can’t share in the bounty, except vicariously through your songbirds and squirrels, because the berries are reportedly seriously toxic to humans. The leaves, particularly in autumn, may also cause an allergic reaction in humans, so test your sensitivity before handling large quantities of the foliage.