Akebia quinata

RHS Plant Profile

chocolate vine

Other common names

akebia

Climber Wall Shrub

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Semi-evergreen 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

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

8-12 metres

Max Spread

wider than 8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: wider than 8 metres
Max Height: 8-12 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Lardizabalaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen
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
Plant Range: China, Korea, Japan

How to Grow

Cultivation

A climber that thrives with any good garden soil in sun or part shade. Fruit - 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

Cottage and informal garden
Climber and wall shrubs
Wall side borders
Edible fruit

Pruning

Pruning group 11 after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)