Actinidia arguta

The hardy kiwi is native to Korea, Northern China, and Russian Siberia.

There are 3 botanical varieties: Actinidia arguta var. arguta
Actinidia arguta var. giraldii
Actinidia arguta var. purpurea

The fast-growing, climbing vine is very hardy (hence the name), and is capable of surviving slow temperature drops to -32°C (-25°F). The vines need a frost-free growing season of about 150 days, but are not damaged by late freezes. The vines can also be grown in low-chill areas.

The vines of the hardy kiwi possess a catnip-like smell which can attract cats.

Cultivation

A small, green to purple skinned fruit similar to kiwifruit, hardy kiwifruit (also known as kiwi berry, baby kiwi, dessert kiwi or cocktail kiwi) is an edible, berry or grape-sized fruit of a Cultivar Group of the woody vine Actinidia arguta. Often sweeter than the kiwifruit, hardy kiwifruit can be eaten whole and need not be peeled. Thin-walled, its exterior is smooth and leathery, providing a deceiving contrast to the fuzzy, brown exterior of its larger sibling fruits.

Attempts to commercialize the fruit have been unsuccessful due to its short shelf-life and sporadic tendencies to ripen. Attempts are being made however to bring the fruit to greater bear, and commercial production initiatives are underway on a small scale in South America, New Zealand, Europe, and Oregon & Washington, USA, as well with some organic growers in northern New England.

In the UK, hardy kiwifruits are available in some food outlets, including the supermarket Waitrose. In the US, they can be found at specialty food stores such as Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market,Greenlife Grocery River Market Co-op, and Sam's Club.

Translation of "Actinidia arguta"

Azeri: Aktinida, German: Scharfzähniger Strahlengriffel, French: Kiwai, Korean: 다래나무, Hungarian: Kopasz kivi, Dutch: Mini-kiwi, Japanese: サルナシ, Polish: Aktinidia ostrolistna, Russian: Актинидия острая, Chinese: 软枣猕猴桃.