Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
Climber Wall Shrub

Akebia quinata

chocolate vine

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

Other common names
akebia
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
8–12 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
Wider than 8 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Purple Red Green
Summer Green
Autumn Green Purple
Winter Green Purple
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

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

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
Botanical details
Family
Lardizabalaceae
Native to the UK
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)

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.