In the early 20th century, when the kiwifruit was introduced to New Zealand as Chinese gooseberry, it’s said the locals thought it resembled their own national emblem, the flightless, fuzzy kiwi bird, and so the fruit earned a new name.
Kiwifruit is a vigorous, deciduous vine that needs a sturdy trellis or pergola to climb. These long-lived creepers won’t begin to fruit until years