Five-leaf Akebia Five-leaf Akobin

Five-leaf akebia is a vigorous twining vine that can cover a pergola, fence, or arbor in two to three seasons. Native from central China through Korea and Japan, it grows fast, twenty to forty feet is typical, with distinctive palmate leaves divided into five rounded leaflets that give the plant an elegant, fine-textured appearance. The flowers appear in March and April, hanging in small clusters, and carry a subtle chocolate-vanilla fragrance that you only notice if you lean in close. On occasion, the plant produces elongated, sausage-shaped purple fruit that splits open when ripe, revealing a sweet white pulp that is edible if not particularly exciting.

Five-leaf akebia fills the niche of a fast-growing, semi-evergreen vine for shade or sun. It takes full sun to part shade and handles a range of soils common to residential sites. The concern is vigor: this plant can become invasive if left unchecked, and in several eastern U.S. states it is already classified as an invasive species. In cool-winter climates, growth is somewhat moderated, but you still need to prune it hard annually to keep it on its structure. It has no significant disease or pest problems. If you want fast coverage on a structure and are willing to manage the growth, akebia delivers. If you want something you can plant and forget, look elsewhere.