Parthenocissus tricuspidata Green Spring- Boston Ivy

The Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Green Spring' is a Japanese Virginia creeper with vigorous growth, perfect for covering a large wall or facade in just a few years. This variety develops young reddish leaves in spring, which unfold into large, shiny green leaves that turn scarlet in autumn. In late summer, the vibrant foliage is adorned with small dull blue berries. This deciduous climbing plant, unlike ivy, attaches itself to its support through small suction cups that do not risk damaging masonry. While it tolerates all exposures, its foliage will be more colourful with a few hours of sunlight during the day.  

The Parthenocissus tricuspidata (synonym Ampelopsis tricuspidata), also known as Boston Ivy or Japanese Creeper, belongs to the family Vitaceae. It is native to eastern Asia (central and northern China, Korea, Japan) where it grows in woods and forests, as well as rocky hills. This plant is naturalised in France. 

The cultivar 'Green Spring' distinguishes itself from the species by its vigour and large leaves, beautifully coloured in autumn. It is a woody, deciduous climbing plant with rapid growth, which can easily exceed 15-16 m (49-52ft) in all directions at maturity. Its foliage consists of large, long, and wide leaves divided into 3 rounded lobes with a widely toothed margin. They are purplish when they emerge, then take on a bright apple green hue before darkening to a more or less dark green in summer. The autumn colours are truly sumptuous, ranging from orange to scarlet red, with shades enhanced by a glossy texture. In summer, its greenish inflorescences, insignificant in size, give way to blue-black berries. The tendrils have 5 to 9 small branches, initially ending in a small swelling that can transform into an adhesive ball, coated with a sticky substance, when in contact with a surface. The foliage falls in autumn. 

Virginia creepers are elegant, romantic, and lavish: they transform any support into a flamboyant drapery at the end of the season, offering an almost unreal spectacle capable of attracting the gaze from afar and capturing the wanderer in a melancholic contemplation. They are perfect for adding lushness to vertical as well as horizontal surfaces. The Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Green Spring', hardy up to -15°C, proves to be very accommodating in terms of soil and exposure, with its colours being more vibrant when its foliage receives sunlight for part of the day. Unrestricted pruning throughout the year will keep it in its space. It can be planted at the base of a wall or facade, or even on a steep slope. If the wall is sound, there will be no degradation due to the Virginia creeper. It also protects the habitat upon which it grows from excessive heat in summer.