Appearance

Growth form

This fast-growing deciduous vine twists around supports and can cover neighboring vegetation.

Leaves

The leaves have toothed edges and red leaf stalks.

Flowering time

In North Carolina gardens, small whitish flowers appear around June.

Fruit

The smooth, green fruit is about grape-sized and ripens in fall.

Look-alikes

Arctic kiwiActinidia kolomikta

Arctic kiwi often has leaves splashed white or pink, especially on male plants. Hardy kiwifruit usually has plain green leaves; without flowers or fruit, a close-up of the vine may still be needed.

Why they get mixed up · Both are cultivated kiwi vines with small fruit.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• Gardens
• Woodland edges

Range

Native to East Asia, it is grown for fruit across parts of the United States. Escaped plants have spread in the Northeast, including an aggressively spreading population in western Massachusetts.

Flowering

Flowers Jun

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Flowers

Flowers Jun

Life cycle

Reproduction

Male and female flowers are usually on separate plants, so fruiting generally needs both.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

U.S. growers use named selections such as “Ananasnaya,” “Dumbarton Oaks,” and the self-fruiting “Issai.”

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed