"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
If you have true Virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) then it
will require some help to stay up there as it becomes woody and heavy and
will rip off the wall, a few wires and vine eyes should be enough. If
however you have what is often called wrongly virginia creeper in the
UK but is what the americans call Bostan Ivy (Parthenocissus
tricuspidata) then it should stay up on its own. They are easy to tell
apart and the clue is in the latin names quinquefolia = 5 leafleted
leaves, tricuspidata 3 lobed leaves. other than that they do similar
autumn colour

I have just been to look at my plant, it does indeed have three pointed
leaves. As I said in my original reply I am not a gardener. Somebody told
me years ago that it was a VC. The same person also told me it will not do
any harm to my brickwork, is this also incorrect? I can only describe the
'attachers' as like very tiny hands with fat ended fingers.

Cheers

John