Akebia quinata | Chocolate Vine Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Akebia quinata | Chocolate Vine — 17cm / 2L17cm / 2L
Chocolate Vine (Five-leaf Akebia)

Akebia quinata | Chocolate Vine

£19.99
Very hardyShade-tolerant
Pot size
17cm / 2L £19.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

The Akebia quinata, better known as the chocolate vine, is one of the most intriguing climbers you can grow outdoors in the UK. In early spring it drapes itself in dangling clusters of maroon-purple flowers that carry a warm, spicy chocolate-and-vanilla scent, followed in long hot summers by curious violet, sausage-shaped fruits. The handsome fingered leaves, each made up of five rounded leaflets, are semi-evergreen and take on a purple tint through winter.

This vigorous Asian climber is fully hardy right across the country, rated RHS H6 and unbothered by hard frost once established. It keeps much of its foliage through mild winters and clothes a wall, fence or arch quickly, making it a brilliant fast screen with the bonus of early-season scent.

Train the twining stems onto wires, trellis, a fence or an obelisk; the plant needs something to wrap around and will quickly cover it. Its speed and dense cover make it a natural pick for screening and privacy, and it earns its place in a Hardy Exotic planting scheme or a lush exotic border. Happy in dappled light, it is also a fine choice for a shadier spot. For a fragrant evergreen companion on a sunnier wall, pair it with our star jasmine. See our what to expect from outdoor plants guide for seasonal notes.

Every Akebia quinata we send is a strong, well-rooted young plant on a cane, hand-selected for healthy foliage and balanced growth, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Chocolate Vine (Five-leaf Akebia)

Plant me in full sun and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Chocolate Vine (Five-leaf Akebia)

Akebia quinata | Chocolate Vine needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Screening & Privacy Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H6 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −20°C

RHS H6, fully hardy across the UK to around -20C.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingNorth-facingExposedSheltered

full sun or partial shade, on a wall, fence, pergola or obelisk with support to twine around.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any fertile, moist but well-drained soil, on chalk, clay, loam or sand and any pH.

Watering

Water regularly through the first two summers while it establishes, then it is largely self-reliant. Very vigorous, so give it a sturdy support of wires or trellis and guide the twining stems as they grow. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first two summers while it establishes, then it is largely self-reliant. Very vigorous, so give it a sturdy support of wires or trellis and guide the twining stems as they grow.

Mature size

Height8-10 m
Spread4-8 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

Apr-May · Purple

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Semi-evergreen

Pruning

Very vigorous, so trim back after flowering to keep it in bounds and untangle congested growth.

Toxicity

Not known to be harmful. The ripe sausage-shaped fruits have edible pulp, but this is grown mainly as an ornamental climber.

Native range

China, Korea, Japan

Family

Lardizabalaceae

Also known as

Akebia quinata | Chocolate Vine

Genus

Akebia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Akebia quinata evergreen?

Akebia quinata is semi-evergreen. It holds much of its five-fingered foliage through a mild UK winter, often with a purple tint, but may drop some or most leaves after a hard, cold spell before releafing in spring.

Is the chocolate vine vigorous?

Yes, the chocolate vine is fast and vigorous, easily reaching 8 to 10 metres. That makes it excellent for quick cover, so give it a sturdy support and trim it back after flowering to keep it in bounds. See our screening plants for more fast climbers.

Do chocolate vine flowers really smell of chocolate?

In early spring it carries dangling clusters of maroon-purple flowers with a warm, spicy scent often likened to chocolate and vanilla. The fragrance is strongest on a warm, still day.

Where should I plant Akebia quinata?

Grow it in full sun or partial shade on a wall, fence, pergola or obelisk, in any fertile, moist but well-drained soil. It twines, so it needs wires or trellis to wrap around. It also suits a shadier spot.

Is Akebia quinata hardy in the UK?

Yes. It is rated RHS H6, fully hardy across the UK to around -20C, and needs no winter protection once established. See our Hardy Exotics seasonal guide.

Does Akebia quinata produce fruit?

In long, hot summers it can produce violet, sausage-shaped fruits with an edible pulp, though fruiting is occasional in the UK and usually needs a second plant nearby for pollination. It is grown mainly for its foliage and spring flowers. Pair it in a Hardy Exotic scheme.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Akebia quinata | Chocolate Vine
£19.99