Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Sizes available: HPP #1

Basics: zones 3-10, potentially 30-50' x 5-10' (can be pruned), full sun to part shade (perhaps even more shade), inconspicuous, greenish flowers bloom in spring and develop into dark blue fruits, leaves turn red shades in autumn, especially in sunnier spots, adaptable and tolerant of many conditions except standing water. 

Common names: Virginia Creeper, Woodbine

Family: Vitaceae

Origin/Distribution: Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and west to Texas and Minnesota, also further south into Mexico, native to Maine

Habitat: Chaparral, brush, and thicket, open or shaded woodlands, stream or river edge

More: If you have room, or are inclined toward pruning things, please add this to your garden. The berries of Virginia Creeper are eaten by Chickadees, Nut Hatches, Mockingbirds, Cat Birds, Finches, Fly Catchers, Tanagers, Swallows, Vireos, Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Thrushes as well as small mammals. It is a larval host for the Abbott's Sphinx Moth, Sphecodina abbottii, the Pandora Sphinx Moth, Eumorpha pandora, and the Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth, Dalapsa myron, all of which are native to Maine. The nectar from the tiny flowers attracts bees. Provides shelter for numerous creatures. Salt and juglone tolerant, moderate resistance to herbivores (really, they are just helping you keep it pruned), can climb, trail or scramble and has adhesive tips, not penetrating rootlets, so although a very strong grower, is not damaging the trees it grows up or the ground it drapes over. Good for erosion control, lovely autumn colors. The berries are toxic to humans and this plant can cause contact dermatitis in some people. 

Nursery: Honey Petal Plants

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons, an example of the growth habit and fall color