Hardy Kiwi

Hardy Kiwi: A Vigorous Vine with Delicious Fruits

Actinidia arguta, commonly known as Hardy Kiwi or Kiwi Berry, is a robust, deciduous vine prized for its sweet, grape-sized fruits. At Humble Abode Nursery, we offer selected cultivars of this productive and ornamental plant.

Hardy Kiwi vines can grow up to 40 feet long (though we recommend keeping them shorter and tidy with pruning), featuring attractive heart-shaped leaves that often have reddish tips. They’re even more delicious than their fuzzy kiwi cousins you find at the grocery store, and there is no need to peel. Just pop them into your mouth straight off the vine!

These vines thrive in full sun to partial shade and prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil. They’re surprisingly cold-hardy, suitable for USDA zones 4-8. Strong support is essential, as mature vines can become quite heavy.

Hardy Kiwis are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants. One male can pollinate up to eight females, so we recommend planting at least one male for every six to eight females to ensure good fruit set.

The vines are vigorous growers and require regular pruning to manage size and encourage fruit production. With proper care, they can produce up to 100 pounds of fruit per mature vine.

Our bare-root Hardy Kiwi plants are carefully selected for cold hardiness and fruit quality. We offer both male and female plants, clearly labeled to help you plan your planting.

By incorporating Hardy Kiwi into your landscape, you’re adding a productive and attractive vine that can serve as a living fence, pergola cover, or focal point in the edible garden. Their unique fruits and vigorous growth make them an exciting addition for gardeners looking to expand their home orchard or create an edible landscape with a twist.

Variety Info:

• ‘Anna’—A reliable producer, perhaps a slight advantage in resistance to late frosts compared to other varieties. Relatively large fruit compared to others, about 1″-1.25″.
• Chang Bai—very sweet and productive variety found in northern China. Fruits are a unique squat shape.
• ‘Geneva 3’— From the Geneva, NY Agricultural Experiment Station. Very vigorous and hardy. Bears fruit to about 1″ long and ripens here in late September into October.
• ‘Michigan State’— A female selection from Michigan State University. Excellent fruit size and quality.
• ‘Dunbarton Oaks’—A female selection from a historic planting in Washington, DC. Bears very sweet fruit.
• ‘Prolific’— A self-pollinating selection from the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts.
• ’74-46 Male’—A reliable male pollinator for other A. arguta cultivars.

Additional Growing Info:
—They can be slow growing for the first year or two. I find they like a little shade and wind protection at first. But they build up steam and eventually start to put on extremely vigorous growth as they get older.
—Some folks are worried about the potential invasiveness of these plants. My take on this is that in a managed landscape where plants are trellised and pruned there is little need for concern. My observation is that it is not hyper-dispersive by seed or impossible to kill as some difficult-to-manage plants are. And if your stewardship to the land where they’re planted ends, make sure whoever takes over is ready to manage them, or else dig them up before you leave.
—A male pollinator is necessary for fruit. 1 male per 8 females is recommended.