Yes. Kiwi are all in Actinidia. In North America at least, Arctic kiwi typically refers only to A. kolomikta. Hardy kiwi is slightly less technical, and typically is A. arguta, although it does incorporate some other species and hybrids, but usually not A. kolomikta. It probably would be clearer to capitalize Arctic and Hardy when used in this sense, but I wouldn’t say it’s required. Here’s an article that differentiates them with examples and pictures: Hardy Kiwis for Cold Climate Gardeners - Laidback Gardener
I’m in Southern Vermont, and reluctant to start growing Hardy kiwi (A. arguta). In a few areas, one of which is within an hour drive of here, it’s turned into a bad invasive. If I do grow it, to be safe and responsible I think I’ll restrict myself to Arctic kiwi (A. kolomikta). Here’s an article on the problem in Western Massachusetts: Beat it or eat it? What should be done about the hardy kiwi?
@JesseinMaine (and others): Which varieties are you finding to be both productive and tasty? And how does the taste compare to non-Arctic varieties?
Thanks for the clarification! My favorite kolomikta (Arctic) female varieties are Krupnoplodnaya, Klara Zeitkin and Vitakola. That is based on fruit size, fruit set and year to year productivity, I find the flavor does not vary much between varieties, ripeness plays a much greater role. USDA germplasm repository carried 3 accessions under the name Krupnoplodnaya, one was male the other two female so just be aware that there are differing versions out there!
Nice! I planted some kolomiktas here in Fairbanks around 1988. They’ve thrived but didn’t fruit until a few years ago because the males kept getting winterkilled. Finally I discovered Pasha male, which has proven hardier, and once it hit puberty I started getting fruit. The only female cultivar I’m sure of now is Dr. Szymanowski. It has the largest fruit of the ones I have, and is partially self fertile–Pasha didn’t bloom this year, but I’ve still got a few setting fruit.
I have a couple Arctic kiwi and they are doing really good this year. They don’t look anything like the fruit in the picture of the first post in this thread though. My fruit is the size of a small fingernail. Maybe that camera pic is just really close and zoomed in so they look larger?
I grew some “Hardy” kiwi too. They aren’t cold hardy…all mine died. I had a friend with a huge plant and his all died too. I’m only sticking with Arctic kiwi from now on.
The vines are huge now, with trunks the size of my wrist, and they cover most of the south side of the house. They die back some every winter, but are so vigorous it doesn’t matter much. They’ll easily push 5-6 feet of new growth every spring. My mystery cultivars have small fruit, but the Dr. Szymanowskis get elongated, although not quite as much as in the photos here. The male didn’t bloom this year, but a few fruits are setting. The vines also self-propagate through layering, so I can dig new plants frequently.
I’m in the Champlain Valley and my winters here are typically zone 5 , close to being zone 6. I think your caution is good. I have arguta and kolomikta, and each would happily spread. I prune heavily.
I haven’t heard the term arctic kiwi outside this forum so I did a bit if reading. While obviously a misnomer, they can be quite hardy, actinidia kolomikta being the more hardy species. The species actinidia arguta is more tender and is generally not grown as much where I live.
Both are called arctic kiwi or hardy kiwi according to wikipedia but arctic kiwi is not an official name of either one so perhaps we should go with the latin names while discussing the different varieties just for clarity.
In english actinidia kolomikta is officially called variegated-leaf hardy kiwi and actinidia arguta is called just hardy kiwi. No arctic kiwi exists to my knowledge so it has been a bit difficult to follow these discussions.
I’d love to grow them but they’re not hardy where I live, lol. Perhaps better varieties exists if they’re being grown in Alaska, but we just don’t have them.
Someone may have published that in an attempt to create a common name that satisfied them, but it clearly wasn’t adopted into common language. Probably because Actinidia kolomikta can occur both with AND without variegated foliage. Variegated foliage also occurs in some other Actinidia species. “Arctic Kiwi” may be an exaggeration, but is arguably the most common of the common names for A. kolomikta in the English language.
Would full sun and somewhat hot summers be a detriment to growing Arctic Kiwi? We’ve had a dozen or more days over 90 degrees this summer, it’s probably a trend. I know haskap and gooseberries don’t like it. I’m worried the Artic Kiwi won’t either, but the early ripening sounds awesome.
I get the Latin names confused. I like the common names!
It’s easy to remember here is the trick-
Arctic kiwi- grows in the Arctic! How cool is that? That’s an easy name to remember.
Hardy kiwi- if put to the rest of a real winter they die. They aren’t hardy at all. Hardy kiwi aren’t hardy. See- easy to remember! A better name would have been “temperate kiwi” or “Willamette Valley hardy”.
I had mine planted in full sun and they turned black and wanted to die. I moved them to a shady location behind the house that gets very little direct sunlight and they bounced right back. That’s just one experience from one grower with a few plants so don’t take that as a permanent rule, but it seems like they prefer at least some shade.
I think they originally came from the Soviet Union / Russia. You can buy them in US, Canada, and in Europe. I’m sure they have made it to other places as well.
Arctic kiwi aka actinidia kolomikta require part sun/part shade and prefer soil that is high in organic matter which is moist with decent drainage. Mine get a maximum of 5-6 hours direct sun and I mulch heavily around them
For my region Kolomitka proved less reliable than Argutas because they flower a week earlier or so. Not much difference between them as far as the qualities of fruit are concerned- each has some excellent cultivars. Argutas are more work because they are more vigorous.
I see where you’re coming from and I’m not saying you shouldn’t call it that, but arctic kiwi (if we’re referring to actinidia kolomikta here) at it’s northern range grows in the Russian far east. Amur region in particular which lies at the 50th parallel north, a latitude similar to Normandy in France or Vancouver island in Canada, so quite far from the arctic, hence the misnomer.
If the name implies it can be grown in the arctic, that isn’t exactly true either. I live a few hours drive south from the arctic circle so techically at the sub arctic and I know I can’t grow it well here, if at all.
I hate to be such a nitpicker sometimes but I just wanted to convey my confusion on the nomenclature. (And I blaim my as of yet undiagnozed add, that might have something to do with the pedantism. I only do this with plants though because I care about the matter.)
