Purple or Red Kiwi is a deciduous climbing vine with hairless stems and green leaves that are bluish-green on the underside. The vines are either male or female and both are needed to produce fruit. One male plant can pollinate 8 female plants. To determine if you have male or female plants, wait until your plant flowers in the spring. Look at the center of the flowers where the anthers (an oval-shaped structure at the end of a tube called a filament) are located. Look for pollen on the anthers as well as white stigmas (part of the female reproductive system) that are longer than the anthers. If all the parts in the middle are pollen covered anthers, the plant is male. If there are white stigmas along with a few yellow anthers, the plant is female. While the fruit is edible, it is not commercially available, due to its short shelf life. This vine is not frost hardy. Should be planted in full sun with adequate support to climb on. The plant can sometimes be found in nurseries under the incorrect name Actinidia melandra. This dioecious plant requires both male and female present in order to produce fruit. Situating this plant in full sun will provide the best fruit production. Protect from strong winds. If propagating from seed, it is necessary to stratify the seed for 3 months before sowing. Fresh seed will germinate in 2 to 3 months. Seed that has been stored can take a longer period before germination. The seedlings can be planted in their permanent location after the chance of frost has passed. Most seedlings are male. Softwood cutting can also be a means of propagation. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Young foliage is subject to frost damage.
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
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf feel
Leathery; Papery
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
It has green leaves with bluish green underside; hairless stems.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White flowers in summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit detail
The fruit is small. They are fuzzy purple berry with red flesh. While the fruit is edible, it is not commercially available. It can be eaten both raw and cooked. The vines are male and female and both are needed to produce fruit, though one male plant can pollinate 8 female plants.
Stem detail
This plant has one or more branched stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
East Asia, West China
Wildlife value
Flowers are pollinated by bees and various insects.
Attracts
Bees
Play value
Edible fruit; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Fuzzy purple berry with red flesh
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Patio; Vertical Spaces; Walkways
Landscape theme
Edible Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen