Hi Judy The tricky thing about invasive plants is that they are not necessarily invasive in all situations. I have seen Akebia being grown in a garden for the last three years and it has not been a problem. However it is an aggressive grower and could become a problem in some situations. (It seldom sets fruit in the landscape, so seeds are not usually an issue). There are a couple of things to consider with invasive plants: 1. How good is their growing environment? The more ideal it is, the more likely the plant will become a problem. 2 How much attention does the garden get? A gardener who is in the garden on a regular basis has a better chance of controlling an aggressive plant than a person who is in the yard every now and then.
You may want to try to plant in your yard for a season and see how it does. If it looks like it will be a problem, then you can get rid of it.
You may want to check with local authorities to see if any plants are banned in your area. The city of Chicago does have Akebia on it's list of regulated plants and it would be wise to see what your municipal government may be regulating.
