Chocolate Vine/Five Leaf Akebia - Illinois Natural History Survey

Five Leaf Akebia / Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)
INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN ILLINOIS HABITATS - Woodlands: Forests, Timber, Windbreaks...
NATIVE TO: Asia (China, Japan, Korea)
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION IN ILLINOIS: Found in isolated areas of Southern Illinois.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Deciduous or semi-evergreen woody vine can lie
on the ground or twine over objects, can grow over 20 to 40 ft tall in one year in ideal conditions. Palmately compound leaves with 5 blue green oval leaflets each with a notched apex.
Flowers are chocolate-purple in color and give way to purple flattened seed pods.
IMPORTANCE: Climbs over understory trees and shrubs, blocking light to vegetation
below.
HABITAT: Forests, grasslands, can invade most any habitat.
MANAGEMENT: Repeated cutting or digging of vines, systemic herbicides like glyphosate
or triclopyr.
Above: Plant noted for its thick and dense
growth.
Right: Palmately compound leaves with
notched leaflet apex.
ILLINOIS COOPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PEST SURVEY
Photo Credits: Illinois Natural History Survey .
Photos: Mike Garrett.