Plants Pacific Northwest

Actinidias Chinensis - Kiwi

Note: These plants can be dangerous if improperly used. The author, and/or ernestartist.org assume no liability for experimentation of use.

Plate 112 Plate 112b

Actinidias Chinensis: Kiwi, Chinese gooseberry.

The kiwi fruit we see in markets, Actinidia chinensis, is native to China. Formerly called the Chinese gooseberry, it was transported to New Zealand, where it was renamed the kiwi fruit. The United States still imports kiwi fruit from New Zealand, but increasing quantities of this fruit are being grown in California. I am also noticing more and more Kiwi vines in Vancouver lower mainland that are also successful in fruit production. The kiwi is high in Vitamin C and contains beneficial enzymes similar to those found in papaya. Kiwi fruits can be stored for months in a cold cellar and ripened a few at a time at room temperatures.

Actinidia chinensis is only one of the 36 named species of Actinidia which are native across Asia, from Java and the Himalayas through much of China, Japan, Korea, Siberia and the Kurile Islands. Tanaka's Encyclopedia of Edible Plants lists sixteen species as bearing edible fruit. The three species acknowledged as bearing the tastiest fruit are A. chinensis, A. kolomikta and A. arguta

The Sunset Western Garden Book lists A. chinensis as hardy in Zone 4, which is borne out by fruiting vines in a number of locations around Puget Sound, including Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Tacoma, Issaquah and Snohomish. A vine in Snohomish has survived 0 degrees Fahrenheit for two winters with minimal die-back. A. kolomikta and A. arguta are hardier than A. chinensis and have survived the cold winters at Lawyer's Nursery on the Clark Fork River in western Montana. A. kolomikta is grown commercially in central Asia.

Actinidias are handsome climbing vines which can grow to great size and length. They prefer a somewhat moist and rich soil. They do not do well in shallow or chalky soils, or in soils with low humus content. A. chinensis needs full sun to do well in the Northwest. A. kolomikta and A. arguta can be grown in partial shade in the Maritime, but will need full sun in the Interior.

The Actinidia's climbing vines are good for covering trellises, arbors and the walls of buildings. If the vines are too tender to survive the winter they can be gently taken down and covered. Temperatures which will kill the vines often leave the roots unharmed, and they will re-sprout in the spring. The Actinidias are easily propagated by winter cuttings. They can be grown from seed planted in flats and started in the greenhouse.

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