Chinese gooseberry, Kiwifruit
Actinidia deliciosa

Family: Actinidiaceae

What it is like

A large woody vine. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are large and heart shaped. They are 20 cm long. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. The flowers are cream and scented. The fruit are brown and fuzzy. They have green flesh and black seeds.

Rich in vitamin C, fresh fruit containing 100 - 420 mg of vitamin C per 100 g and 8 - 14% carbohydrate. There are 40-60 Actinidia species. The Actinidiaceae are a mainly tropical family.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is a plant derived in cultivation from Actinidia chinensis, it is not known in a truly wild situation. Plants requires a 6-8 month frost-free growing season. They are hardy to about -12°C when fully dormant but young growth is very subject to damage by late frosts, being killed back at -2°C. Plants also require a winter chilling of 600 - 1100 hours below 7°C and a long warm summer to ripen the fruit. Temperatures above 35°C and low humidity scorch leaves. Plants prefer a sound loamy acid soil, and dislike alkaline soils becoming chlorotic at pH 6 or higher. They tolerates a pH in the range 5.5 to 7.3. It suits hardiness zones 7-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Europe, New Zealand, North America, Pacific, Slovenia, South America, Switzerland, Tasmania, Uruguay

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.

Edible parts

Fruit, vegetable

How it is grown

Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required, one male to five or six females is normally adequate. Plants can be grown from softwood cuttings. Cuttings 1 cm thick and 20-30 cm long are suitable. They are taken when well matured and dormant. They can be grown from seed but these take 7 years to fruit. Fruit grow on current season's growth, so regular pruning is important. A spacing of 4-6 m is suitable. One male plant near each nine female plants is a suitable ratio.

Vines produce after 4-5 years. Yields of 8 - 30 tonnes per hectare are possible. One plant can produce 50-100 kg of fruit. Fruit can be kept at room temperature for up to 8 weeks.

Its other names

Local names

Delicious donkey fruit, Kivi, Meiwei Mihoutao

Synonyms

Actinidia chinensis of gardens; Actinidea chinensis var. deliciosa (A. Chev.) A. Chev.; Actinidia chinensis var. hispida C. F. Liang; Actinidia latifolia var. deliciosa A. Chev.;