Boston Ivy vs Virginia Creeper – Identification

Q: Is this Boston ivy, poison ivy, or poison Boston ivy? Or maybe a freaked out Virginia creeper?

A: Well, I can eliminate two of our four choices. It’s not poison ivy or poison Boston creeper.

So is it Boston ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata or Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia?

Although I sometimes see Virginia creeper with three leaflets, it almost always has five leaflets.

And although Boston ivy almost always has a single three-lobed leaf, the young vine often has three leaflets.

I’m going to guess that you have young Boston ivy. The leaves do seem to have the typical quilted appearance and I don’t see a single five-leaflet leaf as I would expect to see on Virginia creeper.

An educated guess….but email me if you think I’m wrong!