About

Akebia quinata 'Cream-Flowered' is a robust, semi-evergreen vine featuring lush green leaves made up of five oval leaflets. In spring, it produces clusters of creamy-white blooms with purple centers that emit a chocolate fragrance. These flowers may be succeeded by pale, sausage-shaped fruit.

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, Partial shade
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
8-12 metres
Spread
wider than 8 metres
Time to full height
5-10 years
Suggested uses
Cottage and informal garden
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 softwood cuttings or layering
Pest resistance
Generally pest-free
Disease resistance
May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely)