Akebia quinata aka Chocolate Vine

Akebia quinata, known as chocolate vine or five-leaf akebia, is a woody twining climber in the Lardizabalaceae family. It comes from central and eastern China, Korea and Japan. Gardeners grow it to cover fences, arbors and walls, or let it sprawl as ground cover.

This vine grows fast and reaches 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 metres) on a support. Its spread on the ground can pass 26 feet (8 metres). In cold winters it drops its leaves. In mild climates it stays semi-evergreen and may take a purple tint in winter. Slender stems start green and turn reddish or grey-brown with age. Older bark develops interlaced ridges and furrows.

Each leaf is palmately compound, with five leaflets 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 cm) long. The leaflets often have a small notch at the tip. They are blue-green on top and paler underneath. New growth emerges with a purple tinge, and the foliage gives no autumn colour. The plant has a fine texture overall.

Fragrant maroon to chocolate-purple flowers hang in drooping racemes from March to April. Each raceme carries large female flowers near its base and small male flowers toward the tip. The blooms are interesting up close but often hide among the leaves. Pollinated flowers give way to purple, sausage-shaped pods 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long. In autumn the pods split open and show white pulp full of black seeds. Cultivated plants seldom fruit unless a second, unrelated plant grows nearby for cross-pollination. Fruit also sets better after long, hot summers.

Chocolate vine is easy to grow and accepts clay, loam, sand or chalk. It does best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade. It still copes with deep shade and short dry spells. The plant is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and rated H6 in the UK. It needs a trellis or wire to climb. Prune it after flowering in late spring. Overgrown plants recover well when cut to the ground.

The main problem is vigour. The vine can smother shrubs and nearby plants, and roots are hard to pull out once established. Birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Several US states, including North Carolina, list it as invasive, so it should not be planted near natural areas. It has few pest or disease troubles, though honey fungus can strike in rare cases. Deer tend to leave it alone. On banks it helps hold soil against erosion.

The white pulp of the fruit is edible and sweet, with a mild melon-like taste. Some people dislike its slippery texture. In Asia people fry the bitter fruit skin and pickle or eat the young shoots. The leaves make a tea substitute. No hazards are recorded for the plant. Weavers use the peeled stems for baskets, and the seed oil goes into traditional soap in China. Traditional Chinese medicine also uses the stems and fruit.