2-4" long, ovaloid, brown skinned, hairy fruit with juicy, bright green, acidic sweet flesh.
Description: Fast-growing vine up to 30ft. Vines needs support and like to twine around trellises.
Hardiness: Kiwi’s are fairly hardy and can survive to 10-15F.
Growing Environment: Grow in well drained soil. Fruiting occurs on mature growth (at least a year old), and slows on old wood (over 3 years). Plants are male or female, so cross pollination is necessary for fruit set. For backyard culture, it can be common to grow several vines together in a clump in order to ensure both sexes. Sex can be determined once plants mature and begin flowering. There is no way to differentiate sexes from seeds.
Propagation: By seed. Named varieties are propgated by cuttings.
Uses: Usually eaten fresh, but also used in beverages, desserts, and as a flavoring. The fruits are very high in vitamin C, along with containing vitamins A and E, plus considerable potassium.
Native Range: Southern China.
Nutrition: Kiwifruit is a rich source of vitamin C, 1.5 times the DRI scale in the US. Its potassium content by weight is slightly less than that of a banana. It also contains vitamin E,[9] and a small amount of vitamin A.[9][10] The skin is a good source of flavonoid antioxidants. The kiwifruit seed oil contains on average 62% alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.[11] Usually a medium size kiwifruit contains about 46 calories,[12] 0.3 g fats, 1 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 75 mg vitamins and 2.6 g dietary fiber.