Virginia creepers are useful in a garden for providing shade to walls or used as a ground cover in some instances. The attractive leaves turn from orange to a deep red in the fall before they drop off the plant in the winter. Is it possible to grow the Virginia creeper in a container?
A Virginia creeper can be grown in a container 2 feet wide by 2 feet deep. It can be positioned in partial shade or full sun. The creeper must be pruned to keep it away from gutters and from growing into wall spaces, where it can grow inside the wall. Grow it in well-drained potting soil.
Virginia creeper can be grown as a ground cover or a wall creeper. It needs a significant amount of space to spread but offers a beautiful display in the fall as the leaves respond to the change in season. Container-growing your Virginia creeper is possible, and with the right container, the creeper will require very little care.
How To Grow A Virginia Creeper In A Container
The Virginia creeper is native to central and eastern North America, which means this plant will thrive in a container in zones 3 through 9! It can also be grown in other zones but may not do well in containers in regions with extreme winters.
The purpose of growing Virginia creeper is not for its flower display but rather its attractive foliage. It is often used as a wall-covering creeper alternative to ivy.
Virginia creeper or Parthenocissus quinquefolia is also known as Victoria creeper, five-finger, or five-leaved ivy. In some locations, it is also called woodbine, but this term can refer to a variety of similar plants.
The Virginia creeper can be grown in a container, and it is a good method for keeping the potentially invasive roots in check. The roots have been known to grow through the foundations and into the basements of older homes, compromising the building’s integrity.
Growing the creeper in a container is useful to keep the root growth limited to the container and restrict possible building damage.
The Virginia creeper is useful to grow against a wall that needs cooling in summer, and the leaves act as a shade covering for the wall, reducing the temperature. The creeper climbs walls by means of adhesive suckers rather than penetrating tendrils, so the plant does not damage the walls it is grown against.
The creeper loses its leaves in the winter, allowing the wall to be warmed by the winter sun. The leaves regenerate and appear in spring to provide shade for summer.
The Virginia creeper can grow into a large plant, making the right choice of container crucial for the plant to grow well.
Choosing The Right Container For Your Virginia Creeper
The right size container is important for growing Virginia creeper since the plant can spread to a height of 65 feet or 20 meters and a width of 33 feet or 10 meters.
The plant size requires as large a container as possible to give the creeper stability and a good footing. A container 2 feet wide by 2 feet deep or 0.6 meters by 0.6 meters is a good minimum size to use.
A container with a wide base is preferable to a container that tapers to a narrow base to provide the creeper with a stable foundation until it is able to attach itself to a wall.
You may need to stake the plant or provide it with a trellis for support until it can attach itself to a wall. The growing container should be large enough to accommodate this type of support structure in addition to the plant.
It would help if you started the creeper in the container where it will spend its life, as transplanting it to a larger container will be difficult once it attaches itself to a wall.
While the Virginia creeper is a vigorous, fast-growing plant, a container can slow down the plant’s growth.
Best Soil For Growing A Virginia Creeper In A Container
Virginia creepers are hardy, drought-resistant plants that will grow in almost any soil type. The best soil to use to grow these creepers is well-drained potting soil.
Use a general-purpose potting soil with topsoil rather than a purely organic potting mix that does not include topsoil. The topsoil component gives the roots a more stable foundation to support the plant.
How To Take Care Of A Virginia Creeper In A Container
Growing a Virginia creeper in a container requires a bit more work than growing it directly in the ground. These creepers are hardy and do not require much attention to keep them growing strongly.
Controlling the plant is the biggest challenge to growing Virginia creeper in a container. Prune your creeper annually in the fall to keep the plant within bounds and prevent it from clogging gutters and growing into wall cavities around windows and door frames.
Be careful to dispose of cuttings from the Virginia creeper carefully. It can grow easily from cuttings and trimmings and can easily take root in places in the garden where you may not want it to grow. For this reason, the Virginia creeper is considered an invasive species in the UK.
Keeping this creeper happy in a container does not require much effort.
How Much Water Does A Virginia Creeper Need In A Container?
There is more potential for the growing medium to dry out in the container, which means the plant requires more frequent watering in a container.
Give the plant a watering at least once a week in warm, dry weather. It is unnecessary to water it every week if you have had rainfall. You can allow the potting soil to dry substantially before watering again to moisten the growing medium all the way through the container.
Should You Fertilize A Container-Grown Virginia Creeper?
It is unnecessary to fertilize a container-grown Virginia creeper at a set interval. It should be given fertilizer on an as-needed basis when you notice the plant looking a little tired.
If you want to include fertilizing your creeper on a schedule along with your other plants, you can give it a general-purpose fertilizer annually in the spring.
Where Should You Position A Virginia Creeper In A Container?
A Virginia creeper can grow quite happily in full sun or partial shade; however, do not place it in a constant, full shade position.
If the growing container is in constant full sun, you may need to increase your watering frequency to prevent the growing medium from drying out too quickly.
The creeper produces berries that are toxic to people, so you need to keep small children away from the berries. Birds love the berries, and the creeper will attract bird life to your garden.
Conclusion
The Virginia creeper is grown for its beautiful five-fingered leaves that put on a colorful display in the fall. The creeper is useful for keeping walls cool in the summer heat, but the fallen leaves in the winter allow the sunlight to warm the wall.
The Virginia creeper grows well in a container, but the plant must be pruned to keep it controlled. Dispose of the prunings and cuttings in a compost pile or burning to prevent the creeper from spreading to locations in your garden where it may be undesirable.
References
https://www.thespruce.com/taxonomy-of-virginia-creeper-2132897
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-virginia-creeper/
https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/groundcover-and-vines/growing-virginia-creeper
