The kiwi plant, known scientifically as Actinidia deliciosa, is a vigorous, perennial woody vine, or liana, native to China. It requires substantial support for its growth. Its overall appearance is characterized by a dense canopy of large foliage and a powerful climbing structure, distinct from typical orchard trees. The plant is deciduous, dropping its leaves in the autumn before entering a dormant phase for the winter.
Growth Habit: The Climbing Vine
The kiwi plant is a robust, twining vine that cannot support its own weight. This woody climber can reach lengths of 30 feet or more, demanding a strong trellis, arbor, or wire system for cultivation. The stems curl readily around any available support, characteristic of lianas.
The growth is exceptionally vigorous, producing a great deal of new shoot growth each season. Cultivators must prune the plant extensively to manage its size and ensure adequate light penetration for fruit production. The main stem, or trunk, becomes thick and woody over time, anchoring the network of twining canes that produce the fruit.
Characteristics of Leaves and Stems
Kiwi foliage is large, broadly ovate, or heart-shaped, and arranged alternately along the stems. These leaves are dark to mid-green on the upper surface and can measure between 5 and 8 inches long. They create a dense canopy of shade.
The texture of the leaves and stems is bristly or velvety, particularly on young growth. Young leaves and shoots are often coated with soft, reddish hairs. Mature leaves lose the hair on the top surface, but the undersides remain downy-white and feature prominent, light-colored veins. New stems are covered with stiff, reddish-brown hairs before developing into woody, gray-brown canes.
The Flowers and Reproductive System
Kiwi plants are dioecious, meaning individual plants are strictly male or female, and both are necessary for fruit production. The flowers appear in late spring or early summer, borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils. They are slightly fragrant and feature five or six petals.
The petals are creamy-white when they first open, transitioning to a buff-yellow color as they age. Both flower types have central tufts of many stamens. Male flowers have stamens with viable pollen. Female flowers possess a prominent, multi-branched central pistil or stigma, which receives the pollen and develops into the fruit.
How the Fruit Develops
Following successful pollination, the fruit begins to form from the fertilized female flower’s ovary. The developing fruit hangs down from the vine, typically on current season’s growth. The fruit is botanically a true berry, growing into an oval or oblong shape, roughly the size of a large hen’s egg.
The exterior has thin, fibrous, greenish-brown skin, densely covered in a soft, fuzzy coating. The fruit remains hard while on the vine and is harvested in the fall before it is fully soft. It softens to a ready-to-eat texture only after being picked.