This climbing vine is called vigne vierge in French — "virgin vine." I assume it's Virginia Creeper, a plant imported from North America and sometimes considered invasive. It might be some other species in the same family as Virginia Creeper. It was growing on a wall in Saint-Dyé, on the Loire near Chambord, in June 2004. You see it growing all around the Loire Valley. The color can be spectacular, especially in autumn.
Yes, it’s really invasive. I think it’s propagated by birds because I have some in my small yard in Paris that I never planted. It is growing all over the place.
ReplyDeleteI think Virginia creeper has five leaflets. It was everywhere in Kentucky and I have it in yard in Alabama. It can be confused with poison ivy as I learned early on. The vigne vierge above is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI believe we have homes in this part of LA that have this plant growing on their walls. Creeping fig would accomplish the same thing but be green all yea round. The fiery red sure is attractive though.
ReplyDeleteThis house we bought in Saint-Aignan was half covered in vigne vierge at some time in the past. The house was built in the late '60s and early '70s. In 1985, I've been told, that there was a very hard winter freeze. I wonder if that freeze didn't kill the vigne vierge. I believe it also killed the laurel hedge all around the property. The hedge came back from the roots. People have told me that in '85 tree trunks and firewood stacks were frozen solid.
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