Appearance

Growth form

A fast-growing, twining deciduous vine that can climb up to about 33 ft (10 m). Young shoots and leaf stalks are hairy.

Leaves

Broad, round to heart-shaped leaves about 2.5–7 in (6–17 cm) long with finely toothed edges.

Flowers

Creamy white to yellowish flowers about 1.5–2 in (4–5 cm) across, 1–3 together, in mid-spring. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants.

Fruit

An egg-shaped berry about 1.5–3 in (4–8 cm) long, fuzzy or nearly smooth, with green or golden flesh and rows of tiny edible black seeds.

Look-alikes

Hardy kiwiActinidia arguta

Hardy kiwi fruits are grape-sized, smooth, and hairless. Market kiwifruit is much bigger and usually fuzzy. Hardy kiwi also survives cold winters down to about −25°F (−32°C, zone 4).

Why they get mixed up · Both are kiwi vines in the same genus with similar-tasting green fruit.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• orchards
• backyard arbors

Range

Native to central and southern China and Taiwan. In the US it is grown as a fruit crop and backyard vine in mild-winter areas such as California.

Preferred conditions

In the wild it grows in thickets, oak woods, and forest edges on slopes and in ravines. In gardens it needs full sun, rich well-drained soil, and a long warm season.

Growing it

Care

Hardy in USDA zones 8–9 and damaged by winters below about 10–15°F (−12 to −9°C); late freezes often hurt blooms. Growers plant one male vine for several females and prune hard each winter, much like grapes.

Toxicity

Kiwifruit contains an enzyme (actinidain) that can cause allergic reactions, from an itchy mouth to, rarely, severe anaphylaxis.

Connected species

Pollinators

• Western honey beeApis mellifera

  The main pollinator in commercial orchards. The flowers make no nectar and don't attract bees well, so growers bring in many hives.

Close relatives

• KolomiktaActinidia kolomikta

  A kiwi relative that survives winters to about −35°F (−37°C, zone 3), far colder than kiwifruit can take, but it grows less vigorously and has smaller fruit; male vines have pink, white, and green leaves.

Name and classification

About the name

The species has three varieties: the fuzzy green kiwifruit (var. deliciosa, sometimes treated as a separate species, Actinidia deliciosa), the smoother-skinned var. chinensis behind gold and red kiwifruit, and var. setosa from Taiwan.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• Seeds reached a USDA station in 1904 and were sent on to Chico, California, but US growers showed little interest until New Zealand fruit began arriving in California in 1959.
• 'Hayward,' the fuzzy green kiwi in most US stores, was selected in New Zealand in 1924.