General Description | A deciduous vine that produces edible fruit. |
ID Characteristic | This vine is a dark green colour with unlobed, broad-ovate leaves in an alternate pattern with sharp serrations. In spring the vine has small, scented green and white flowers. In September to October grape-sized kiwi fruits develop and ripen. |
Landscape | Makes an excellent ornamental specimen or attractive privacy screening in both home, urban and commercial settings. |
Propagation | Propagate by seed sown in spring or autumn, or by semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer, or by layering in winter. |
Cultivation | Plant in full sun with shelter from wind in a deep and well-drained, rich, loamy soil that is preferably neutral (although a range of pH will be tolerated). Pollination via insects, or by hand if grown under glass. |
Pests | Generally free from serious pests and diseases in temperate climates. May become victim to leafroller caterpillars, greedy scale, thrips, passion-vine hopper and rootknot ellworm if grown in a warmer region, as well as to bortytis (Pseudomonas viridiflava), bacterial blossom rot (Sclerotinia spp) and Phytophthora. |
Notable Specimens | Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Missouri Botanical Garden. |
Bark/Stem Description | Reddish brownish bark. As a new plant the bark is a little glossy. As the vine gets older, it loses the glossiness and becomes a drier wood, peeling as the vine twists upward. |
Leaf Description | Leaves are soft, smooth and mid-green in colour, growing to 15 cm in length. They are ovate to ovate-oblong in shape, sharply dentate with a cordate to rounded base. |
Flower Description | Flowers are white and fragrant, growing up to 2.5 cm in diameter. |
Fruit Description | Fruit is fleshy and yellow-green, oblong to subglobose, growing up to 2.5 cm in diameter, and is edible. |
Colour Description | Brown-grey branches and vines. Green leaves in the spring that change to a golden-bronze colour in the autumn. Small, yellow-green fruits. |
Texture Description | A smooth green leaf and fuzzy green fruits hence its common name of Kiwi Vine. Its leaf texture changes to rough and crumbly and yellows in colour in autumn. |