Ken’s Red Hardy Kiwi

Ken’s Red Hardy Kiwi

Named for its creator, the late New Zealand horticulturist Ken Nobbs, Ken’s Red Hardy Kiwi bears good crops of very large, sweet, and tasty fruit with reddish purple skin and flesh. This is a female hardy kiwi variety and needs to be paired with a male plant for cross pollination.

If you like Fuzzy Kiwis, you’ll love this new and delectable fruit Sparkling like green or red jewels, each very sweet fruit is packed with flavor. While smaller than Fuzzy Kiwi, you can eat fuzz-less Hardy Kiwi fruit like grapes, tender skin and all. Hardy to minus 25º F., or below and free of pest and disease problems, you can harvest 100 lbs. or more of fruit from one Hardy Kiwi plant.

Hardy Kiwi likes half day to full sun and well-drained soil. A male plant is required for pollination and one male plant can pollinate up to 8 female plants. Hardy Kiwi ripens in mid to late September. The plants need a strong trellis and can spread 10-12 ft or more when mature. They usually begin bearing 3-4 years after planting.

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Latin Name: Actinidia purpurea x melanandra
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full sun and well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: This is a female plant, pair with a Male Hardy Kiwi for cross-pollination. One male can pollinate up to 8 females.
Hardiness: Hardy to -25° F.
Bearing Age: 3-4 years after planting,
Size at Maturity: 10-12 ft. in width on trellis, arbor or other support.
Taste: Sweet
Fruit Skin: Reddish purple
Fruit Flesh: Reddish purple
Bloom Time: May
Ripening Time: September-October
Yield: 100+ lbs
Pests & Diseases: Hardy Kiwis are not bothered by significant pest or disease problems.
USDA Zone: 4-9