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Climber Wall Shrub

Akebia quinata variegated (v)

A semi-evergreen variegated climber about 10m tall, with rounded dark green leaves, blue-green below, composed of five leaflets and tinted purple in winter. Fragrant reddish-purple flowers, in racemes 12cm long, produced in early spring are sometimes followed by purple sausage-shaped fruits to 10cm in length

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Size
Ultimate height
4–8 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
4–8 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Purple Red Green Variegated White
Summer Purple Red Green Variegated White
Autumn Green Variegated White Purple
Winter Purple
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
Botanical details
Family
Lardizabalaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Climbing
Genus

Akebia are vigorous twining, semi-evergreen climbing shrubs, with attractive palmate or trifoliate leaves and racemes of cup-shaped purplish female and smaller male flowers, followed by large, sausage-shaped fruits, if cross-pollinated by another clone

Name status

Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

A climber that thrives with any good garden soil in sun or part shade. It needs long hot summers to fruit well and two plants of the same species to ensure cross pollination

Propagation

Propagate by seed, softwood cuttings or layering

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Climber and wall shrubs
  • Wall side borders
Pruning

Pruning group 11 after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)

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