Chocolate Vine

(Akebia quinata)

Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)

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Akebia quinata Native Range
Native Range
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Climate Requirements

• Precipitation 47" - 73"
• High Temp. 77°F - 87°F
• Low Temp. 18°F - 34°F

Summary

Akebia quinata, commonly known as Chocolate Vine, is a semi-evergreen perennial vine native to woodlands and forest margins in East Asia, particularly in China, Korea, and Japan. It can grow vigorously to 10 m (30 ft) or more in height, using twining tendrils to climb structures and other plants. The leaves are palmately compound with five elliptic or obovate leaflets, each with a distinctive notch at the tip. The woody stems are greyish-brown and display lenticels. Chocolate Vine produces clusters of fragrant, purple-brown flowers in the spring, which are often described as chocolate-scented. The flowers are not particularly showy but are interesting due to their unique color and scent. Following flowering, the plant may produce sausage-shaped pods filled with a sweet, edible pulp surrounding the seeds.

Chocolate Vine is valued for its rapid growth, which makes it an excellent choice for covering trellises, arbors, and fences. However, it can be invasive outside its native range, spreading through both rhizomes and seed dispersal. It is invasive across the eastern United States and parts of the Pacific Northwest, escaping cultivation and smothering native plants.CC BY-SA 4.0

Plant Description

  • Plant Type: Vine
  • Height: 20-40 feet
  • Width: 6-9 feet
  • Growth Rate: Rapid
  • Flower Color: Pink, Purple
  • Flowering Season: Spring
  • Leaf Retention: Semi-deciduous

Growth Requirements

  • Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
  • Drainage: Slow, Medium, Fast

Common Uses

Bee Garden, Bird Garden, Butterfly Garden, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Edible*Disclaimer: Easyscape's listed plant edibility is for informational use. Always verify the safety and proper identification of any plant before consumption., Erosion Control, Fragrant, Groundcover, Showy Flowers

Natural Habitat

Woodlands and forest margins in East Asia

Other Names

Common Names: Chocolate-Vine, Fiveleaf, Five-Leaf Akebia, Fingerblättrige Akebie, Akébie À Cinq Feuilles, Fembladig Akebia, 으름덩굴, Akebi, Eureumdeonggul, Mu Tong

Scientific Names: Akebia quinata, Akebia quinata f. polyphylla, Akebia quinata f. viridiflora, Rajania quinata, Akebia micrantha, Akebia quinata f. diplochlamys, Akebia quinata f. albiflora, Akebia quinata subsp. yiehii, Akebia quinata var. diplochlamys

GBIF Accepted Name: Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne.