Geographical origin: The Far East.
Adult Dimensions: Height up to 14 m.
Foliage: Deciduous.
Type of soil: Preferably rich, moist and well drained.
Climate: Not very hardy, up to -7°C once established.
Site: Partial shade to full sun.
Characteristics and uses:
The Michurin Actinidia is a climber grown above all else for the beauty of its foliage. Bronze at first, then green it takes on white tints, then it goes from pink to crimson red. In the autumn, it has pink tints, yellow or purple… It blossoms in June producing beautiful, sweetly fragranced, pinkish-white flowers. As this specie is dioecious, you need a female and a male plant in order to get fruits. Unfortunately, it is very rare to find differentiated plants in the shops. The fruits of the Actinidia have the size of a large grape, sweet and full of vitamins.
As this vigorous climber is not very hardy, it is best grown sheltered from wind. You can cut back last year growth at the end of the autumn if you wish to grow it within a certain space.