STORY BEHIND THE ART OF CANDACE ABURDENE

Weird, Wild, & Wonderful

Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial Exhibition

2014 - 2016

Chocolate vine

Akebia Quinata

When I moved to my current house there were three Akebia Quinata vines growing in my back garden. The vines grew and bloomed beautifully for years. One year in the fall, while I was looking out the window admiring the garden, my eye was drawn to some large blue-violet objects wedged in the vines. Wondering what these strange things were, I went to have a closer look and was surprised to discover that they were the fruit of the Akebia vine. There was a cluster of three large pods that had split open, revealing the gelatinous tubular fruit encasing large purple-black seeds that were just visible through the white membrane. Along with their unusual color, I thought they were the most weirdly beautiful things I had ever seen and of course I had to paint them! I have

also included an example of the small male flowers and larger female flower; the female flower is weird in its own right, resembling a tiny flying saucer. To add to the unusual character of the plant, the flowers have a fragrance reminiscent of a wonderfully fruity chocolate, hence the moniker, Chocolate Vine.

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