Akebia (photo) chocolate vine - planting and care. Akebia cultivation and care Types and varieties of Akebia with photos and names

Belonging to the Lardizobalov family. Most often it can be found in East Asia (Japan, China, Korea). This plant has taken root in Crimea, southern Europe and the Caucasus. It did not become widespread everywhere.

The main distinguishing feature of the vine is beautiful inflorescences that have a pleasant chocolate and coffee aroma. Therefore, this flower is also called chocolate. In addition to the aroma, it also has a lot of useful properties that have a beneficial effect on the condition of the human body.

Chocolate vine grows very quickly. The annual growth is 1-3 m. The total length of a creeping plant can reach 7 meters or more. But the optimal size is considered to be 3-6 m. After exceeding this limit, the plant requires replanting, as the root system becomes too powerful. The liana has a taproot system, with superficial and deeply branched roots.

In the cold season, akebia sheds its leaves, leaving a bare stem. If the climate is temperate and mild, then it remains with green leaves all year round. The stem is green and pink in the first year, then it becomes woody and turns brown with a purple tint. Its cross section is circular.

The leaves have a three-toed or five-toed shape. Petioles are 6-10 cm long. The dimensions of the leaf plate are 3-5 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide. Its surface is smooth and glossy. Each leaf has an oval shape.

From mid-spring to late summer, the chocolate plant begins its flowering period. Each flower has its own pedicel. All of them are collected in large inflorescences. It is noteworthy that flowers of different sexes on the stem are located next to each other:

• male - consist of 4-9 pieces in an inflorescence. Rosette - 3 cm. Color - purple-pink. Presence of thumbs of stamens;
• female ovaries consist of 2-3 pieces. Smaller in size. Color – violet-brown. Large loose inflorescences. The flowers of the plant are collected in short racemes, the leaves are five- and three-fingered. Availability – 3-9 ovaries.

Fruit

In September, akebia flowers are replaced by fruits. They ripen by mid-October. The outwardly unsightly oblong pods, upon reaching maturity, have a purple skin color. Fruiting in the liana is rare, this is due to difficult pollination.

If the “chocolate curtain” grows on the balcony, then there will be no harvest at all.

The fruit is quite large in size - 6-8 cm. The peel is dense and shiny, as if covered with wax. Visually, it seems that pearlescent flesh is about to emerge from the “purple cucumber”. Akebia seeds are black and numerous. They cover the fleshy flesh. An unusual fruit is shown in the photo below.

The fruits are edible and have many beneficial properties. The pulp tastes very much like our raspberries, but the smell, like the flowers, remains chocolate. Eating this fruit has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. It is also used as a diuretic. These fruits are capable of killing gram-positive bacteria, thereby preventing dysentery and indigestion. In the east, not only the fruits of this plant are eaten, but also the leaves. They are dried and brewed as tea, and sometimes used as a seasoning.

Types of akebia

There are 2 types of chocolate vines used in the culture:

1. Akebia quintuple(Akebia quinata) - grows quickly. The length of the stem reaches 6 m. The leaves are five-rosette, oval. The flowers are painted wine red.
2. Akebia trifoliate or lobed(Akebia trifoliata) - has an arrangement of leaves, respectively, 3 pieces each. She is more exuberant in height (9 m). The five-leaf vine is inferior to the three-leaf vine in the size of fruits and flowers. Fruits collected from trifoliate stems 10 cm long. Flowers are dark purple.

Note: in Russian latitudes it is growing only five-leaved akebia. Only she can withstand our weather changes and frosts. We present to your attention a photo of Akebia quintuple and trifoliate.

Reproduction

Reproduction of Akebia quintuple is possible in several ways: cuttings, layering and seeds. Let's look at each of them.

By layering

This method is considered the most effective. It is better to carry it out in the spring (April-May). To do this, choose a young shoot located below. Leaves and side shoots are removed from it. This is done on a segment 30 cm below the top of this stem.

Then an incision of up to 2.5 cm is made. Before digging in this segment of the vine, it is treated with growth hormone for rooting and pinned with wire. The mound of soil should be 8 cm above the shoot. The end of this shoot is tied to a support so that it stretches upward.

By autumn, the plant will take root, and it will be possible to cut cuttings from the mother stem. It needs to be planted in a pot and watered well. When the roots develop, the young plants are planted in a permanent habitat.

Cuttings

Cuttings can be collected from a chocolate plant at different times. In summer, half-woody cuttings are used as planting material, in spring - slightly woody cuttings, and in December - with already formed aerial roots.

Seeds

For planting, seeds that have just been collected are used. The air temperature in the greenhouse should be + 15°C. The first shoots will appear after 1-3 months.

You can also use seeds that have been stored for some time before sowing. But before planting them, it is necessary to carry out cold stratification. For those who do not know what this procedure is, let us explain. This is storing seeds in basements and damp rooms with low temperatures.

What conditions does care require?

In general, growing and caring for Akebia quinquefolia in a dacha near Moscow will not cause much trouble.

It is better to plant the plant on the sunny side or in partial shade. This way it will bloom well. If you plant in the shade, you may not get flowers at all, or the inflorescences will be poor and sparse. The soil should be loose, nutritious, moist and drained. It is desirable to have support so that the chocolate vine has something to cling to. Without support, it grows along the ground, creating a green carpet.

Quinata care consists mainly of watering and fertilizing. Watering is moderate. The main thing is that the soil is moist. It is also necessary to spray the leaves. But don’t worry that the vine will dry out if you decide to go on vacation in the summer. This plant can tolerate temporary moisture deficiency.

Fertilizing is carried out with complex mineral fertilizers monthly. During the period of active growth every 20 days.

This vine can withstand frosts up to 20 degrees. Comfortable temperatures in summer are +22-24 degrees, in winter -10 degrees. If the upper part freezes, the plant will produce new shoots in the spring. Although it is frost-resistant, it is still better to take care of insulation in winter. In May, dry and excess stems are pruned. The “chocolate curtain” also needs to be trimmed in the fall. When kept indoors, akebia remains green all year round.

According to reviews from gardeners, the vine is susceptible to fungal diseases. Therefore, care at the dacha involves preventive measures. It is worth covering the plant with compost and treating the shoots with foundation. To avoid stagnation of water, the soil must be loosened regularly.

When kept at home, the plant must be replanted every 1-2 years.

Application in landscape design

The stems of the chocolate vine are flexible and light, which makes it possible to create a wide variety of green silhouettes. It is actively used in landscape design.

Creating romantic and secluded places with the help of a chocolate curtain will not leave almost anyone indifferent. Therefore this is an ideal option for landscaping balconies, terraces and gazebos.

If you plant several specimens without support, you can create a green flowering carpet. It can hide an empty area. The flowering period is quite long. Therefore, the vine can be used to decorate unsightly walls of houses, old buildings, and dilapidated fences. Planting along the border of the site gives a camouflage effect that will hide your territory from the prying eyes of strangers.

If the stems are regularly pruned, the quinata takes on the appearance of a bush.

What to replace in the garden, what to combine with

The three and five rosette leaves of Akebia visually resemble Schefflera leaves.

The green background that the five-leaf vine creates goes well with many plants. Low-growing shrubs planted in the first row will hide the unsightly base of the akebia. Hydrangea is suitable as such “protection”. Pastel colors - cream, pink, pale blue - will look especially advantageous.

Among the herbaceous plants that combine with quinata are daylily, Schmidt's wormwood,. To create arches, it is often used in tandem with clematis and honeysuckle.

Where to buy, how much it costs

You can purchase this exotic miracle at the market and in the nursery. If there is nowhere to buy such beauty in your area, you can order it by mail or look for offers on the Internet.

Akebia seeds cost an average of 330 rubles, a seedling costs slightly more - from 500 rubles.

Application in cosmetics

Akebia contains a lot of useful substances that are involved in the process of transmitting nerve impulses from our cells to the brain. Also, triterpene saponins, which are also part of the chocolate vine fruit, have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and even anti-cancer effects.

Such a storehouse of useful properties could not go unnoticed. Therefore, akebia extract is actively used in Chinese medicine and in the production of cosmetics.

Cosmetics based on quinate:

• moisturizes the skin;
• slows down the skin aging process;
• reduces the number and depth of wrinkles;
• performs protective functions.

Akebia and other climbing plants that won't cause trouble

The video below is a detailed story about vines for the garden that will not require pruning, including akebia.

Akebia is an exotic vine found most often in East Asia. It has delicate, light foliage and excellent inflorescences that exude a pleasant chocolate aroma. It was thanks to him that the garden flower began to be called the chocolate vine.

Akebia is a fast-growing, deciduous plant, but in regions with temperate and mild climates it can remain evergreen.

Akebia liana grows up to three meters long and is cultivated in gardens mainly as an ornamental plant. The shoots of the vine are bare. The flowers of the plant are collected in short racemes, the leaves are alternate, five and three-fingered. The perianths are trifoliate, a beautiful purple-brown color. Male flowers have inwardly curved anthers and six stamens. Female flowers have from three to nine ovaries. Both flowers can be combined on one plant. The fruits of the Akebia quinquefolia vine resemble cucumbers in shape and appearance and are most often edible.

Planting chocolate akebia vine

To plant akebia, it is best to choose a place that is well lit and protected from direct sunlight. This plant can also be planted in a shaded area, but in this case there is a high probability that the flowering period may not occur.

It is best to buy akebia seedlings in the spring and in pots. When planting, the vine buds should not be open. You should not purchase very large specimens, as they do not take root well. It is also necessary to wait until the night frosts are over, because young seedlings are too sensitive to cold.

Akebia five-leaved is planted in the soil in the spring. First, you need to dig a small hole and fill it with compost made from a mixture of leaves, dry grass, organic waste and soil. In principle, this plant is absolutely unpretentious to the composition of the soil, but it is still desirable that it be fertile, with a neutral chemical reaction and well-drained. In home growing conditions, when planting, a substrate of peat, sand and leaf soil is often used.

After the soil has been prepared, carefully remove the seedling from the pot, place it in the hole and straighten the outer part of the ball with roots. Fill the hole with soil on top and tamp it down a little. Be sure to water the seedlings thoroughly after planting with soft, warm water. The shoots must be tied to a support to which they could later cling. Wire and various sticks work well for this purpose. It is recommended to pinch the tops of the shoots several times so that they produce strong shoots and do not become bare.

Caring for Akebia five-leaved

Like any plant, akebia requires careful care. In general, these activities include:

• Regular watering.
• Complex fertilizer.
• Timely transplantation.
• Treatment with antifungal agents.

So, during drought, the soil in which Akebia quinquefolia grows should be constantly moistened abundantly. Don't forget about light irrigation. When watering, you need to carefully ensure that the water does not stagnate, otherwise the root system will rot. In winter, it is necessary to reduce watering.

Complex fertilizers are applied at least twice a month, during the period of active growth of the akebia vine. At the end of autumn, pruning of too long or unnecessary shoots is required.

The plant should be replanted in the spring. If there is no support for the vine to cling to, it will gradually become ground cover. Thanks to this, you will be able to green a fairly large plot of land with two or three seedlings. If the chocolate akebia vine is used as a climbing plant, then support from poles or sticks will be required. As it grows, it is advisable to pinch the shoots repeatedly.

In the summer, this crop feels excellent at a temperature of 22-24°C, but in winter it is necessary to reduce the temperature to 10°C. If the akebia garden flower is grown in open ground, then it needs to be covered during winter frosts.

Despite the fact that akebia has good insecticidal properties, and therefore is resistant to various fungal diseases, it may still require treatment with special means. Affected foliage must be plucked and destroyed. Compost is then spread evenly around the akebia.

Reproduction of akebia vine

Many experienced gardeners propagate the garden flower akebia by root layering, seeds and cuttings.

The cuttings are cut and then rooted in a substrate of peat and sand, after which they are planted in pots and kept under film at a cool temperature for a whole year. They are placed in a permanent place next spring.

The seeds are first germinated in a mini-greenhouse at a temperature of about 15°C. They need to be sown in a light, moistened substrate to a depth of maximum 0.5 centimeters. Be sure to cover the container with film to maintain the desired temperature. It is best to germinate seeds in a cool place. Fragile seedlings appear only after 2-3 months. Seedlings can be planted in separate pots as soon as they have several true leaves. Flowering with this planting method will begin only in the 4th year of life.

The easiest method of propagating the akebia garden flower is propagation by layering. In May, the well-rooted cuttings are disconnected from the plant and immediately transplanted to a permanent place.

Use in landscape design

Like any vine, this plant is used for vertical gardening. With its help you can decorate a pergola, gazebo, outbuildings, and fences. Dark flowers look especially luxurious against a light background.

Low-growing flowering shrubs, such as mock oranges, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and euonymuses, look stunning in a composition with Akebia quinquefolia. Other vines, such as climbing honeysuckle and alpine clematis, are also considered good neighbors.

My daughter and her husband were vacationing on the Black Sea and brought me a chocolate vine seedling from there as a gift. They couldn’t really explain what kind of culture it was. They only said that the plant climbs like a vine and smells like chocolate when it blooms. I had to look for more detailed information myself.

CHOCOLATE LINA FROM EAST ASIA

The scientific name for chocolate vine is Akebia. It comes from East Asian countries: Japan, Korea, China. Its shoots reach a length of 12 m. They can both climb supports and spread along the ground, like ground cover plants.

At the moment, the crop is also cultivated in America, Australia, and Southern Europe. It has beautiful flowers and edible fruits, reminiscent of raspberries in taste, and in appearance - small (up to 10 cm in length) “bananas” with numerous dark seeds and pearl-white jelly-like pulp. They are eaten raw, fried or stuffed with meat and baked in the oven. Buds and young shoots of vines are also used for food. Fragrant akebia leaves are added to tea.

AT THE SEA AND IN THE MOUNTAINS

In our country, akebia is grown mainly on the Black Sea coast, in the Caucasus. There it blooms from May until the end of summer. And from September to November its purple banana-shaped fruits ripen

shade. In the conditions of the Middle Zone, the crop can also grow in open ground, but does not bear fruit. For the winter it needs good shelter, since it cannot tolerate cold temperatures below -20°.

Popular among our gardeners The 2 most frost-resistant types of akebia: quintuple and trifoliate (with five-fingered and three-fingered leaves). The racemes of their inflorescences contain both small male (0.7-1 cm) and large female (about 3 cm) flowers. With the arrival of cold weather, the vine sheds its leaves. Although in warm countries it is an evergreen plant.

WELCOME TO THE HOME!

I didn’t dare take my seedling to the dacha. And for 6 years now, akebia has been growing in my kitchen. For the first six months it developed slowly. But then it suddenly began to grow rapidly. It braided the entire wall opposite the window, clinging to the stretched mesh with branches. The central shoot of the vine reached 6 m. After that, I pinched it. Now I regularly pinch the tips of the side branches.

Akebia blooms profusely and really fills the room with a chocolate-vanilla scent. There have been no fruits yet, but I do not lose hope of waiting for them. Some flower growers boast on forums that they succeed. The leaves of the vine are thick, lacy, and do not fall off in the fall. Apparently, Akebia takes the home climate as natural, like in its homeland.

AKEBIA – CARE

When it comes to care, the culture is not at all capricious. She needs a large pot with a fertile, loose substrate of garden soil, humus and coarse sand (2:2:1), with a layer of drainage at the bottom. During the growing season - regular watering, spraying with warm water and fertilizing with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers once a month. During the dormant period - rare watering, stopping fertilizing and lowering the temperature by 7-10°.

In spring and autumn, pruning can be done to prevent the vine from growing too much. She tolerates this procedure easily. Once every 2-3 years you should replant into fresh soil. The culture feels equally good in bright sun and partial shade. Pests practically do not bother her.

HOW TO PROPAGATE AKEBIA

Akebia is bred by root layering, cuttings, and seeds. In the first case, in the spring, the shoots are separated from the root system and planted. In the 2nd - in the fall, semi-lignified branches are cut off and rooted in damp sand under a transparent bag.

In the 3rd - sow the seeds in a container with moist soil and cover with glass. Sowing is placed in the shade and coolness, where the temperature does not exceed 15°. Ventilate it daily and, if necessary, moisten it with a spray bottle. After 2-3 months, shoots should appear. Then the glass needs to be removed and the container moved to a bright windowsill. When the plants have 2-4 leaves, you can plant them in separate pots. Seedlings begin to bloom in the 3-5th year.

Akebia is an exotic vine originating from Northern Japan and is also widespread in China, Korea, Australia, North America and Europe. Here you can find it on the coast of the Caucasus and in the Crimea.

This still little-known plant is worthy of distribution due to its many beneficial qualities, charming appearance, unforgettable aroma, and is also worthy of getting to know it better.

Description of the plant

Chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) is a climbing shrub (liana) that reaches a height of 3 to 6 meters. Most often it is deciduous, but in areas with mild climates it is evergreen. It has smooth violet-purple branches. Its bright green leaves resemble the shape of a baby's palm.

• male - up to 9 violet-pink flowers with pink stamens, juicy in color;
• female - 2-3 large brown-violet flowers with a chocolate-colored pistil.

Flowering has been observed since mid-spring. In appropriate conditions, it is possible to achieve almost year-round flowering.
Similar in shape to a cucumber, the 6-8 cm fleshy purple akebia fruits have a pleasant aroma and taste similar to raspberries. They are filled with black seeds. The fruit ripens in mid-autumn, then one of its walls seems to open.

In northern Japan, the liana is grown everywhere in gardens like our wild grapes, twining around numerous supports and climbing up to 10 meters in height.

Landing rules

Chocolate vine loves a well-lit place where it blooms profusely. In the shaded area of ​​the akebia, greenery predominates, and you may not be able to wait for flowers.

It is preferable to purchase akebia seedlings in the spring. You should choose medium-sized specimens, with buds that have not yet opened. Due to the sensitivity of young plants to cold, you should not risk them by planting them in the soil before the end of the night cold. The landing technology is as follows:

1. The plant taken out of the pot is carefully planted in a shallow hole, covered with leaves, dry grass and other “organic matter” with the addition of peat and sand, without damaging its roots.
2. The top layer of earth is slightly compacted.
3. Then you need abundant watering with non-cold water.
4. The shoots are tied to a support (wire, sticks).
5. To achieve strong shoots, their tops are pinched several times.

Features of care

• “Chocolate” vine needs such care as soil drainage, because if water stagnates, the roots can rot.
• In warm weather, it requires watering and fertilizing with fertilizers at least once a month. In winter, there is no need to frequently water the plant.
• When growing akebia at home, you should replant the vine every two years into a roomy and heavy pot that the massive plant will not tip over. In this case, very long branches need to be removed. This should be done in the spring, not forgetting to install supports.
• During the period of active growth, plants require repeated pinching of the tops.
• Plants grown in the garden need to be wrapped in winter.
• Although akebia is not too sensitive to fungal diseases, treatment with special preparations will not harm it. Leaves affected by the fungus are destroyed, then compost is spread around the vine.

Reproduction of akebia

The liana is propagated in 3 ways:

• seeds. Ripe seeds are placed in a container with light soil and placed in a cool place, waiting for germination for up to 90 days. To maintain a constant temperature (up to 15 degrees), the mini-greenhouses are covered with film;
• cuttings, which are rooted in a peat-sand mixture, then planted in pots under film in a cool place for a year;
• layering - the most common and simplest method, when at the end of spring the rooted layer, having been separated from the plant, is transplanted to a permanent place.

Beneficial features

The vine is used for weaving baskets. It is used in Chinese medicine as a diuretic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic. To do this, a medicinal decoction is made from a trunk cut across.
Young buds are brewed like tea by steaming and drying them beforehand. Seasonings for fish and vegetable dishes are obtained from the leaves and flowers.

Application in landscape design

• Akebia is used as landscaping on vertical surfaces, gazebos, and terraces. Dark ones look especially chic against a light background.
• Two or three plants creeping along the ground can cover large surfaces with greenery.
• Good neighbors for chocolate vines are small flowering shrubs: hydrangea, euonymus, honeysuckle, rhododendrons, mock oranges.
• Akebia goes well with other vines: clematis, climbing honeysuckle.
• Herbaceous daylilies, hostas, wormwood, planted under the vine, shade it well.
• This plant looks great on the wall of a not too large room (balcony, loggia); growing this vine at home is quite possible. At the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that it will bloom only in the fourth year, if it blooms at all. Producing its charming flowers, the liana is very demanding on lighting.

Akebia has not yet found a worthy use in our garden plots. But thanks to its unique and rare beauty, beneficial properties, pleasant aroma, easy plant care, wide possibilities of combination with other garden inhabitants, this chocolate vine from the East is becoming more and more famous in our area.

Akebia and other climbing plants (video)

Reviews and comments

(2 ratings, average: 3,25 out of 5)

Elena 05/19/2015

The flowers of the climbing vine Akebia are beautiful, bright, even the leaves attract attention with their shape and color saturation. At home, such evergreen shrubs will decorate the garden and unforgettably embody the landscape design of the site

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Scotch eggs - incredibly delicious! Try to cook this dish at home, there is nothing complicated in preparation. Scotch eggs are a hard-boiled egg wrapped in minced meat, breaded in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried. For frying, you will need a frying pan with a high side, and if you have a deep fryer, then that’s just great - even less hassle. You will also need oil for frying so as not to smoke in the kitchen. Choose farm eggs for this recipe.

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Chickpea curry with meat is a hearty hot dish for lunch or dinner, inspired by Indian cuisine. This curry is quick to prepare but requires some prep. The chickpeas must first be soaked in plenty of cold water for several hours, preferably overnight; the water can be changed several times. It is also better to leave the meat in the marinade overnight so that it turns out juicy and tender. Then you should boil the chickpeas until tender and then prepare the curry according to the recipe.

Rhubarb cannot be found in every garden plot. It's a pity. This plant is a storehouse of vitamins and can be widely used in cooking. What is not prepared from rhubarb: soups and cabbage soup, salads, delicious jam, kvass, compotes and juices, candied fruits and marmalade, and even wine. But that's not all! The large green or red rosette of leaves of the plant, reminiscent of burdock, acts as a beautiful background for annuals. It is not surprising that rhubarb can also be seen in flower beds.

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3 delicious sandwiches - a cucumber sandwich, a chicken sandwich, a cabbage and meat sandwich - a great idea for a quick snack or for an outdoor picnic. Just fresh vegetables, juicy chicken and cream cheese and a little seasoning. There are no onions in these sandwiches; if you wish, you can add onions marinated in balsamic vinegar to any of the sandwiches; this will not spoil the taste. Having quickly prepared snacks, all that remains is to pack a picnic basket and head to the nearest green lawn.

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