Vines are one of the most versatile plants to add to your garden because you can use them to create a screen, cover a structure like a fence or pergola, or even cover a slope. One of the best you can add to your back yard is the perennial vine Akebia quinata, commonly known as five-leaf akebia.
One of the easiest ways to train five-leaf akebia is to use a wire or pole.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Manning
Without any pruning or training, five-leaf akebia can become invasive.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Manning
Use the vine to create an interesting green framework to your garden.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Manning
This Akebia seedpod has split open.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Manning
Five-leaf akebia is evergreen in most areas of the South, but it becomes more deciduous in northern regions. Its creamy-white or purplish-brown flowers arrive in early spring and give off a delightfully spicy fragrance. The leaves fill in quickly to make any structure look lush, and after the vine blooms, it’ll grow rapidly all summer long. Because the vine’s woody appearance offers winter interest, the plant essentially looks great year-round no matter where you grow it – as long as you give it the proper growing conditions.
Plant this Akebia in a sunny to partially sunny spot in well-drained soil. It’s a terrific choice for adding structure and defining space because it’s easy to work with and grows quickly. With some training, the vine can cover a pergola, wall or create a screen easily in one or two seasons.
Training five-leaf akebia isn’t too hard – one of the easiest ways is to just give the plant a wire or pole to wrap around. If you want the vine to grow over your garage door, for example, run a wire along that part of your garage. Then take the new tendril growths that pop up along the vine and wrap them around the wire. Five-leaf akebia usually doesn’t need to be tied to whatever structure you’re using thanks to the plant’s natural curling ability. (Although you may still need to use garden ties now and then.)
The plant is really manageable, but it does need some simple maintenance to prevent it from becoming invasive. Be sure to clip unwanted tendrils regularly, and occasionally train the desired ones. To help keep it further under control, pick off the seedpods that form in fall. (These pods contain hundreds of seeds that can cause the plant to quickly multiply.)
When it comes to vines, five-leaf akebia is a great choice because it can be trained and attached to almost any structure. It softens, fills empty spaces and screens unsightly fences and walls quickly. With a little dedication, you can add a green framework to your garden that rewards you and your family with some great formality and year-round interest.
