Virginia Creeper vs Sweet Gale

Virginia Creeper is a fast-growing, climbing vine. Its root-like tendrils attach themselves to any non-smooth surface, even brick, but will also grow as a ground cover.

Virginia Creeper makes a beautiful ornamental plant for your garden; its attractive foliage turns from green to deep red in the fall. Birds will love its red berries.

Sweet Gale is a native, nitrogen-fixing shrub known for its aromatic foliage. Tiny glands on the leaves release a balmy, bay leaf-like scent with floral and citrus notes. In spring, the yellowish male catkins provide one of the earliest sources of pollen for bees and other insects. While later in the season, the female catkins produce seeds that are eaten by waterfowl. Sweet Gale is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Sweet Gale thrives in wet, acidic soils and is commonly found along wetlands and lakeshores. It can help stabilize shorelines, while its dense growth provides valuable cover for wildlife. It is well-suited for naturalization, wetland restoration, and erosion control projects.

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