Akebia quinata, Five-leaved Akebia

A vigorous, densely foliaged twining vine. Climbs readily, but can also be used as a ground cover. Compound, leathery leaves are unusual in appearance. Evergreen in mild climates. Tolerant of partial shade. The clusters of fragrant, lilac-purple flowers appear in May. Fruit is a 2-7″ long pod which turns purple and splits open when ripe in September or October. Inside is a core of edible white pulp which tastes somewhat like tapioca pudding with seeds. In order to obtain fruit it is necessary to plant two or more vines. Hand cross-pollination will likely result in heaviest fruit production (much fruit can be set as a result of a few minutes of hand-pollination). The vines in our planting,, which are about 15′ apart, usually set fairly good crops of fruit without hand-pollination, however.