Chinese gooseberry or kiwifruit is a rapidly growing woody deciduous climbing vine in the Actinidiaceae family. It is native to China and other parts of East Asia. It can be found growing in thickets and oak forests on slopes or in ravines. It can be grown in a variety of soil and pH conditions but prefers moist, loamy, neutral, well-drained soil. It will produce its fruits in both full sun and semi-shade, however, the best fruit production will occur in full sun. Its rapid growth rate makes it a great choice for sturdy trellises, arbors, fences, or walls. Slightly more cold hardy than other kiwi vines . This dioecious climber has either male or female flowers. For propagation, both need to be grown to be pollinated by bees and insects. Flower buds emerge from last year's stems, so pruning in the fall or winter is discouraged. The leaves and fruit are both edible. The flavorful fruits which are rich with vitamin C contain small seeds that are typically eaten with the fruit. When slightly soft under pressure, they are ready to eat. Very soft fruit is considered too ripe and not edible. Use on any verticle surface and in the edible garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Occasional root-knot nematodes, thrips, passion vine hopper, crown gall, root rot may affect the plant. They are not cold hardy. Its rapid growth can quickly get out of hand if not closely monitored.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Edible; Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
When young, the foliage appears to have a halo, which is actually the short hairs. As the foliage ages, the hairs will no longer be present. The blades are thick and have a lightly impressed vein on top and more prominent raised veins on the underside. New growth can be showy.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Fragrant white blooms appear in May. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown to get fruit) and are pollinated by bees. Flower open white, then fade to creamy yellow.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
The egg-shaped fruit is a fuzzy brown large edible berry that is formed on female plants. They are formed on second-year wood and fruit spurs of older wood.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Green; Light Brown
Bark detail
The new bark is green, turning dark brown quickly. As the plant ages, the bark is a lighter brown. Paper can be made from the bark.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stems are whip-like, and twining. The branchlets are reddish in color. Young branchlets are white pubescent to brownish.