Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Seven-leaf Creeper

Parthenocissus heptaphylla (par-then-oh-SIS-us hep-tuh-FILL-uh)

Family: Vitaceae Unknown Vine (vertical)

The Sevenleaf Creeper is a deciduous vine or creeper native to Texas. In its native habitat, it can be found climbing on vegetation in rocky or sandy soils in woods and river bottoms. The dark green leaves develop into showy crimson to scarlet for your fall colors.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 46 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Cotoneaster adpressus Ilex cornuta 'Crimson Fire' Petrosedum rupestre 'Angelina'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Perennial; Vine
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a
Light
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Growth rate
Rapid
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblanceolate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Fall color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Green
Flower form
Corymb
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small, inconspicuous flowers.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit detail
Small blue-black berries.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
The stems are brown when mature.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Texas
Wildlife value
Birds are attracted to the berries. Also attracts bees.
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Screening; Textural; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Berry
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Patio; Slope/Bank; Walkways; Woodland
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#deciduous #vine #perennial vines #deer resistant #naturalizes #drought tolerant #naturalized area #air pollution tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Propagation
Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.