HARDY KIWIS: A TASTE OF THE TROPICS AT HOME

There’s fruit, and then there’s tropical fruit. The division seems pretty simple. On one side is the familiar fare, such as apples, pears, and grapes. On the other side are bananas, pomegranates, guavas, and others. No one questions the division; we typically assume we can grow familiar fruit here in the U.S., while tropical fruit will only grow somewhere else, where warm breezes always blow.

But suppose you could grow a so-called “tropical fruit” right here, in your own backyard? I’m talking about the kiwi fruit — only, not the familiar fuzzy kiwi you find in grocery stores and cut-fruit arrangements. Rather, my topic of discussion is the hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) and variegated kiwi (A. kolomikta), sometimes called “arctic kiwi.” Both are vines from the same general region as the kiwifruit (A. deliciosa), growing across China, Mongolia, Korea, and even Siberia. Let’s explore what distinguishes these two types, and how you can help them thrive in your garden.

Know Your Kiwis

A few differences exist between the hardy kiwi, variegated kiwi, and kiwifruit. The first