Anna is a vigorous female hardy kiwi vine that produces grape-sized fruits in generous bunches, thriving in hardiness zones 5 through 9. This cultivar of Actinidia arguta ripens about three weeks later than Dumbarton Oaks, extending your harvest season well into fall. The vine itself is highly ornamental with showy red foliage, combining productivity with landscape appeal. Space plants 15 feet apart and you'll find Anna rewards beginners and experienced gardeners alike with reliable, abundant yields year after year.
Full Sun
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5-9
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Anna's grape-sized fruits cluster in bunches along a vigorous, ornamental vine that handles heat, humidity, salt, and drought with ease. The vine's showy red leaves make it as beautiful on the landscape as it is productive in the kitchen, while its later ripening habit compared to other hardy kiwis means you can stagger harvests across the season. This is a vine that doesn't demand fussing; it grows vigorously and produces abundantly for gardeners in cold climates where tender kiwis won't survive.
Anna's sweet, grape-sized fruits are eaten fresh, straight from the vine or chilled as a delicate snack. The thin, edible skin makes them convenient to eat whole, unlike larger kiwi varieties that require peeling. They work well in fruit salads, smoothies, and as a novel addition to desserts, though their primary use is as fresh-eating fruit that captures the tropical character of kiwis in a cold-hardy package.
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Transplant Anna vines in spring after the last frost date, spacing plants 15 feet apart to give their vigorous growth room to spread. Choose a location with full sun exposure and well-draining soil.
Harvest Anna's fruits in late summer to early fall, about three weeks after Dumbarton Oaks variety ripens. Pick fruits when they yield slightly to gentle pressure and have developed full flavor, which occurs later in the season than other hardy kiwi varieties. Fruits hang in bunches on the vine, making them easy to locate and gather by hand.
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“Anna, also known by its Russian name Ananasnaya, represents the hardy kiwi species Actinidia arguta, a distinct genetic line separate from the similarly named Actinidia kolomikta. This vine entered cultivation through breeding efforts to develop cold-hardy kiwi varieties suitable for northern gardens, offering home growers in zones 5 and colder access to fresh kiwi fruit that standard tender varieties cannot provide.”