Virginia Creeper In October

Today, the first day in October. And here, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), a gorgeous red in early autumn.

Those red leaves as well as the berries should not be eaten, at least by humans. The berries are quite popular with birds during the winter, but they and the leaves contain teeny tiny, needle shaped calcium oxalate crystals. Those crystals can cause irritation, and sometimes blisters to the tongue, mouth, and throat of us humans.

So, enjoy the beauty, but don’t get wild and crazy and eat any.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.