The Lardizabala Family
What are they?
This is a small group of woody shrubs and climbing plants, native to eastern Asia and with outliers in South America. The family Lardizabalaceae consists of seven genera with the climber Akebia quinata being a fairly popular ornamental climber in the UK.
Where are they found?
A single species is occasionally grown as an amenity ornamental and may be seen where climbing plants are planted against walls or on trelliswork.
Identification
The five-fingered leaves and unusual flowers on twining stems are unlikely to be confused with any other species in our region.
Five-leaved Akebia Akebia quinata
(Chocolate-vine) Introduced from eastern Asia as a garden ornamental. Occasionally grown as an amenity plant on walls or trellis but only rarely recorded as a garden escape. Flowers April to June. A vigorous species, climbing by means of tightly twining stems. Leaves palmately lobed with (three to) five leaflets. The petalless flowers are highly unusual and are carried in small clusters. Each cluster consists of 4-15 male flowers with pink, petal-like sepals and 1-5, larger, female flowers with maroon, petal-like sepals. The flowers have a distinct fragrance of chocolate to them which more recently has given rise to the name of Chocolate-vine for this plant.
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