Chocolate Vine
Akebia quinata
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Climbing Vine
Plant Family: Lardizabalaceae
Plant Description: The chocolate vine, also called five-leaf akebia, is a fast-growing deciduous vine. Each leaf is palmate and composed of five oblong leaflets that are bluish-green in maturity. Drooping racemes of small chocolate to purple flowers bloom in early-spring. If grown in close proximity to others of its kind, it will produce pods filled with seeds and a whitish-pulp that is edible. Grows well in a variety of soils and will tolerate some drought. The chocolate vine is an aggressive grower and will need to be cut back to keep it from strangling nearby plants. It will tolerate being sheared to the ground each spring.
Maintenance:
Maintenance Type: Climbing Vine
Plant Care: Climbing Vine (climbing or trailing plants): Prune regularly to promote health, remove overly tangled branches, maintain a desirable shape, and to remove diseased or damaged branches. Pruning is best done in late
winter to early spring for most vines. With spring blooming vines, prune after the blooms are spent. Train on structures strong enough to support the vine. Some vines require more or less pruning than average depending on their growth habit.
Plant Attributes:
Mature Size: 20-25' in length
Utah Native: No
Plant Select: No
Pollinator Friendly: Yes
Localscapes: Foundation Plant, Perimeter Plant
Foliage Interest: No
Foliage Colors: Green
Bloom Colors: Purple, Brown
Bloom Seasons: Spring
Bloom Period: Apr - May
Growing Conditions:
Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun (6+ hrs sun), Full Shade (0-4 hrs sun), Part Shade (4-6 hrs morning sun), Part Sun (4-6 hrs afternoon sun)
Irrigation Requirement: 
Moderate (1/2" every 7-10 days)
Moderate (1/2" every 7-10 days)
Salt Tolerant: Unknown
Deer Resistant: Yes
Garden Location:
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Neighborhood Landscapes
- Tradition with a Twist
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Spring -
Summer -
Fall -
Winter
