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chocolate vine

Scientific Name: Akebia quinata

Family: Lardizabalaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Vine

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Akebia quinata: The Chocolate Vine

Akebia quinata, commonly known as Chocolate Vine or Five-leaf Akebia, is a vigorous twining, semi-evergreen climbing shrub prized for its fragrant flowers and unique fruits.

Considerations for Pets

  • The plant produces sausage-shaped fruits.

Considerations for Children

  • The plant produces sausage-shaped fruits.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne.
  • Common Names: Chocolate Vine, Five-leaf Akebia
  • Family: Lardizabalaceae (Lardizabala family)
  • Synonym: Rajania quinata

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Japan, China, and Korea.
  • Naturalized in the eastern United States, including Georgia.
  • Also found in isolated areas of Southern Illinois.

Ecological Role

  • Invasive in forested areas throughout the eastern United States.
  • Its fast-growing nature allows it to escape cultivation and potentially threaten native species.
  • Introduced to New Zealand as an ornamental.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • A vigorous, twining, semi-evergreen climbing shrub.
  • Rapid growth rate.
  • Can be deciduous to evergreen depending on the climate.
  • Grows to a final height of 3 to 7.5 meters and a width of 3 to 4 meters.
  • Palmate or trifoliate leaves.
  • Cup-shaped purplish female and smaller male flowers arranged in racemes.
  • Large, sausage-shaped fruits develop after cross-pollination.

Flowering and Fruiting

  • Flowers are maroon-chocolate and often described as looking almost artificial.
  • Chocolate-scented, wine-red flowers appear in clusters in spring (March to May).
  • Fruits ripen in early fall (September, October).

Quirky Facts

  • The plant's Japanese name is "Mitsuba-akebi."
  • The flowers are vanilla-scented and described to have an exotic, spicy fragrance.
  • Fruits have been described as smelling like pineapples and passion fruit.

Cultivation

  • Requires a fertile, garden hotspot, such as a pergola or arch.
  • Prefers full sun or partial shade.
  • Requires moist but well-drained soil.
  • Fully hardy, but flowers are prone to damage from late frosts, making it best suited for warmer gardens.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Requires cross-pollination by another clone to produce fruit.