About
Akebia longeracemosa is a semi-evergreen vine that can reach heights of up to 8 meters. Its foliage features bright green leaves made up of five oblong leaflets, which may take on a purplish hue during the winter months. In spring, this plant produces fragrant, cup-shaped flowers in a purple-red hue, arranged in drooping racemes that can grow up to 15 centimeters in length. These blooms may be succeeded by elongated, sausage-shaped fruits that are purplish in color.
About the genus
Akebia are robust, semi-evergreen climbing shrubs that twine as they grow. They feature either palmate or trifoliate leaves and produce racemes of cup-shaped flowers, with the female flowers being purplish and larger than the smaller male ones. If cross-pollinated with a different clone, they will bear large, sausage-shaped fruits.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Climber Wall Shrub
- Habit
- Climbing
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 4-8 metres
- Spread
- 2.5-4 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- SE China, Taiwan
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- A climber that thrives in most situations, but resents root disturbance
- Pruning
- Pruning group 11 after flowering
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, by layering or by softwood cuttings
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)