Fifty-five Female Hardy Kiwi is a vigorous vine that produces small, sweet kiwi fruits in hardiness zones 5 through 8, making it one of the few kiwi varieties tough enough for northern gardens. Unlike its fuzzy cousin, this Actinidia arguta cultivar grows smooth-skinned fruits you can eat whole, skin and all. The vine thrives in full sun and handles heat and humidity with ease, plus it's naturally drought tolerant once established. This is a female clone that needs a male pollinator nearby to set fruit, but once it does, you'll have abundant harvests of delicate, finger-sized fruits with bright green flesh.
Full Sun
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5-8
?in H x ?in W
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High
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This is a cold-hardy kiwi for gardeners in colder climates who thought kiwis were off-limits. The smooth skin means no peeling required, and the fruits are delicate and sweet straight from the vine. Its tolerance for both heat and humidity, combined with genuine drought resilience, makes it adapt to a wide range of growing conditions without constant fussing. As a female cultivar, it's bred specifically for fruit production rather than just ornamental vining.
The smooth-skinned fruits are eaten fresh, right off the vine, without any peeling. Their small, sweet nature makes them convenient snacking fruits or elegant additions to fruit platters and desserts.
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Harvest fruits in late summer to early fall when they reach full size and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Pick fruits when they're firm but not hard; they'll continue to sweeten after harvest. Handle fruits gently as they bruise easily.
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