Scientific Name
Akebia quinata 'Alba'
Common Name(s)
White Akebia
Scientific Classification
Family: Lardizabalaceae
Genus: Akebia
Origin
Akebia quinata 'Alba' is a cultivar of Akebia quinata.
Flower
Color: Reddish-purple
Bloom Time: Summer
Description
Akebia quinata 'Alba' is a semi-evergreen climber with bright green leaves composed of 5 elliptic or obovate leaflets notched at the tips. It can grow up to 40 feet (12 m) at a fast rate.
Fragrant lemony-white flowers with larger females at the base of the raceme are sometimes followed by purple, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long fruits. This plant is slightly more evergreen in nature and blooms a bit earlier with more fragrance.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 5a to 10b: from −20 °F (−28.9 °C) to 40 °F (+4.4 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Chocolate Vine is a light feeder and doesn't require supplemental flower fertilizer. However, you can provide trace nutrients for vines growing in poor soil by mulching with compost or well-rotted manure.
The Chocolate Vine will climb on supports or scramble up to 40 feet (12 m). Many gardeners prune the chocolate vine back to ground level in late winter because of its vigorous growth habit to keep it in check. You can also lightly prune the vine to help it look tidy after flowering.
Practice good stewardship of the land by not allowing Chocolate Vine to escape your landscape into neighboring woodland areas. In some areas, it has displaced native plants with dense vegetation. The vines have the potential to choke out small trees when left untended in wild areas.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata).
Links
- Back to genus Akebia
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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