Kiwi
Actinidia kolomikta

Family: Actinidiaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Pink, White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer. Form: Irregular or sprawling, Upright or erect.

Actinidia kolomikta is a deciduous Climber growing to 10 m (32ft 10in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Bees, insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 10

Where it is found

Coniferous woodlands and hedges in mountains throughout Japan. Mountain mixed forests in open places at elevations of 1600 - 2900 metres in China.

E. Asia - China, Japan, E. Siberia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Japan, Lithuania, North America, Russia, Slovenia, Tasmania.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use. Sweet and agreeable. It contains up to 5 times the vitamin C of blackcurrants. The ovoid fruit is hairless and pale orange when fully ripe and is up to 25mm in diameter. It contains a number of small seeds, but these are easily eaten with the fruit. Young leaves - cooked. Used as a potherb or added to soups. One report suggests the its Content of vitamin C in berries is 1520mg in 100grams of fruit.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content

Other

Rating: 0

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Arbor. Prefers a sound loamy neutral soil. Succeeds in semi-shade but full sun is best for fruit production. Another report says that the plant prefers semi-shade. Prefers a sheltered position. When grown in a sunny position the leaves normally develop a strong variegation. Prefers a neutral soil, plants become more variegated when they are grown in a limy soil. Very cold resistant, dormant plants are hardy to at least -30°c but new growth in spring can be cut back by late frosts. Plants grow well on a wall and can also be grown into trees. Cats are very fond of this plant and can damage it by scratching it etc. A very ornamental plant, there are some named varieties that have been selected for their edible fruit. The form most often cultivated in this country is a male and it is quite possible that all the plants grown here have been developed from a single clone. Often confused with the closely related A. polygama, but it can be distinguished by its leaves which are heart-shaped at the base whilst those of A. polygama are tapered. Fruits are produced on second year wood or on fruit spurs on older wood, any pruning is best carried out in the winter. The flowers are sweetly scented. This is a climbing plant, supporting itself by twining around branches etc. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:Not North American native, Fragrant flowers, Attractive flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 12 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. Woody. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is branching: a heart root, dividing from the crown into several primary roots going down and out .

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. It is probably best if the seed is given 3 months stratification, either sow it in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in November or as soon as it is received. Fresh seed germinates in 2 - 3 months at 10°c, stored seed can take longer. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. When the plants are 30cm or more tall, plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Most seedlings are male. The seedlings are subject to damping off, they must be kept well ventilated. Cuttings of softwood as soon as ready in spring in a frame. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very high percentage. Cuttings of ripe wood, October/November in a frame.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Climber

Hardiness: 3-8

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Arctic Beauty, Kolomikta, Aktinidija, Kishmish, Manchurian gooseberry, Miyama-mata-tabi.

Synonyms

Kolomikta mandschurica. Regel. Trochostigma kolomikta. Rupr.