Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Akebia quinata bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called chocolate vine, five-leaf akebia, fiveleaf akebia (Akebia quinata).

More about akebia quinata

About Akebia quinata

Akebia quinata · also called chocolate vine, five-leaf akebia · flowering

A semi-evergreen twining climber with elegant five-fingered leaves and spicy, chocolate-vanilla-scented maroon flowers in spring. Vigorous and easy in sun or part shade, it can produce sausage-shaped purple fruits when cross-pollinated. Beautiful on pergolas and fences, it is fast and rampant — and considered invasive in parts of North America — so site it where its spread can be controlled.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Invasive spread: Extremely vigorous and self-layering; can smother shrubs and escape gardens. Prune hard after flowering, remove rooted runners, and avoid planting near natural areas where it is invasive.

The reasons akebia quinata isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming akebia quinata traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding akebia quinata a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get akebia quinata to flower

Maximise sun. Give akebia quinata the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for akebia quinata and get the feeding right with the akebia quinata fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Akebia quinata flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full akebia quinata care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Akebia quinata blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my akebia quinata flower?

Akebia quinata blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make akebia quinata bloom?

Give akebia quinata the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does akebia quinata normally bloom?