About
Akebia quinata 'Silver Bells' is a semi-evergreen vine that can reach heights of approximately 10 meters. Its foliage consists of rounded dark green leaves, which have a blue-green hue on the underside, each leaf made up of five leaflets that may take on a purple tint during winter. In early spring, the plant produces fragrant flowers in two varieties: pinkish-purple female blooms and white male flowers featuring purple-pink stamens, both arranged in racemes that measure about 12 centimeters long. Following the flowering period, it may develop elongated, sausage-shaped fruits that can grow up to 10 centimeters in length.
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
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Climber Wall Shrub
- Habit
- Climbing
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 8-12 metres
- Spread
- 4-8 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- A climber that thrives with any good garden soil in sun or part shade. Fruit - needs long hot summers to fruit well and two plants of the same species to ensure cross pollination
- 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)