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Chocolate Vine | Akebia quinata 'Silver Bells'
A wonderfully aromatic climber
Grown by Mollie
Cheltenham
The highlights
- Grows well in full sun and part shade
- Perfect for trellises, obelisks or pergolas
- Stunning blooms from early spring
- Flowers emit an inviting vanilla aroma
Description
- This highly-distinctive climbing vine features vivid green foliage and showy, scented flowers in cream and lilac pink
- Typically blooming between March and May, the vine produces racemes of butter-coloured male flowers and slightly bigger mauvish female flowers
- A semi-evergreen climber that uses its tendrils to grasp on to surfaces, this variety is ideal for training up walls, fences, pergolas or trellises
- Gloriously low maintenance, this vine has excellent pest and disease resistance, requires little to no pruning, and doesn't typically need additional feeding
- We'd feel hard done by if a plant called the 'chocolate vine' didn't offer some fantastic fragrance, and we're happy to say that 'Silver Bells' doesn't disappoint. Radiating a somewhat spicy aroma with notes of vanilla, this climber makes a fabulous addition to a summer seating area where the scent can be best enjoyed
- This vine may be straight from the chocolate box, but it's anything but delicate! Cold-hardy down to temperatures of -20°C, and pretty tolerant when it comes to drought, this is one seriously robust climber
- Please Note: Our climbers are pruned back each winter, and some during the summer, so you may find at certain times of year they do not cover the whole 90cm cane. This is intentional to ensure the best growth when you plant out
What To Expect
Supplied as:
Height on arrival:
Eventual height:
Eventual spread:
Time to first crop:
Flower colour:
Habit:
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Rootstock:
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How To Grow
Excellent pest and disease resistance
This plant is rarely bothered by pests or diseases.
Water regularly when establishing
Whilst your plant is establishing, water it regularly - roughly once per week (or more if the soil is prone to drying out). Then, once established, water during hot, dry spells to keep the soil from drying.
Full sun to partial shade
Akebia will grow nicely in part shade but will produce more flowers in full sun (at least 6 hours of daily sunlight).
Any moist, well-drained soil
This easy-to-grow plant will do nicely in any soil that drains well - that's what we like to hear!
No feeding required
Akebia plants don't need regular feeding, but it's worthwhile to dig in plenty of nutrient-rich compost when first planting.
Planting Calendar
- Best time to plant
- Harvest
- Flower
Cheltenham
Meet Mollie
Climbers grown by specialists at the height of their game
What does it take to grow the strongest and best climbing plants in the show tent? Organic fertilisers, natural pest control and years of dedication from Mollie, our expert grower in Worcestershire. Professionally pruned and checked by hand, they’re guaranteed to put on a gold standard display in your garden, too.
What customers say about us
We do our best to provide you the best experience ever
Growing with Roots
Good to know
Our plants are grown in the UK
Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.
Our plants are delivered overnight
Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 24 hours.
We're here to help at every step
We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team of experts.
Perfect plants, guaranteed
We’re confident that you’ll be delighted with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re perfectly happy.
Learn from our experts
Which is the Best Climbing Plant for Your Garden?
Digging deep to answer your questions
How do I know I'm getting quality plants?
All of our plants are grown in specialist nurseries with the highest standards of plant care and sustainability. We guarantee you'll love them as much as we do! Don't just take our word for it - we've got thousands of great reviews on Trustpilot.
When will I get my plants?
The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.
How will my plants be packed and delivered?
We send all of our orders through a courier network designed to handle plants. Specialist equipment ensures that no plants will be damaged during the packing process and every order is carefully finished and checked by plant-loving humans. Your plants will arrive in the most sustainable packaging possible with minimal to no plastic used.
Where do you deliver?
We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.
Ask the grower
One of our trusted growers will get back to you via email within 24 hours
What customers say about us
We do our best to provide you the best experience ever
Excellent delivery and service
Well, the delivery was spot on, the tree looks healthy enough for a sleeping plant, although at the moment most of the branches are on one side of the trunk which in itself is bent banana-style. quite wonky. One can only hope that it grows into a fruitful plant with some character?
30 January
Nice sized tree in good condition
Time will tell on the quality of the product (bare-root apple trees), but the stems that arrived seemed in great condition and very well packaged so no damage in transit. Looking forward to Spring!
Ange
Appears v healthy
Very happy with purchase
Ms Arlene Bocking
Lovely tree
So happy with my purchase of my Braeburn Hillwell apple tree from Roots Plants. It arrived promptly, well packaged and in a good, healthy condition. I soaked it for an hour before planting and it's doing well. Looking forward to our home grown apples, in time.
Ms Arlene Bocking
It has picked up now and is growing well
It arrived in a heat wave and looked a little bit sorry for itself when planted out but it has picked up now and is growing well.
David Osborne
Good service all round
Arrived on time as the seller said it would and the courier gave me a time slot to track my parcel. It came well packaged and was of good quality for this time of year. It looks a good and healthy tree and will be planted up in a few weeks after the ground has been prepared. I’m pleased with my purchase.
Helen