Actinidia kolomikta Red Beauty

The Actinidia kolomikta 'Red Beauty', a female variety of Arctic Kiwi, is a fruit climbing plant that will also charm with its ornamental qualities. Its leaves turn red at the end of the season, its delicate scented spring flowers, and its small sweet red kiwis make this plant an interesting subject from spring to autumn. To successfully grow it, provide a support for its voluble stems to climb on. It is essential to plant a male variety to obtain fruits, especially 'Actic Beauty' or, at a stretch, 'Adam' in not too cold climates.

The 'Red Beauty' kiwi is a horticultural selection of Actinidia kolomikta. This plant belongs to the Actinidiaceae family. The wild species is native to an area ranging from China to Japan, Korea, and Russia, where it can be found in the Amur River region and on Sakhalin Island, for example. Its natural habitat consists of not too dense coniferous forests, where the plant can form thickets along the banks or in clearings. In the southern part of its range, this Actinidia grows up to 1300-1400m above sea level, on rocky plateaus. In the north, however, this species does not climb above 150m above sea level. This kiwi was introduced into cultivation in 1855.

The Actinidia kolomikta 'Red Beauty' is a fast-growing woody plant, with voluble stems that grow 60cm per year and quickly reach 5 to 6m in length. They will need to be guided onto a support for them to climb on. This female cultivar is characterised by its spreading habit, naturally hugging the ground if its growth is not guided. Its large oval leaves, dark green and sometimes tinged with reddish, turn dark red in autumn before falling. The cream-white flowers with yellow anthers, pleasantly scented, resembling small buttercups, appear between May and June. The small oval fruits (3cm long and 1.5cm wide), but produced abundantly, ripen from September to late October. These small kiwis are sweet and delicious when eaten fresh, as they are or in a fruit salad. Their skin is thin and they can be eaten like grapes.

Like most kiwis, Actinidia kolomikta is dioecious: there are male plants separate from female plants like 'Red Beauty'. Only the latter will bear fruits, and only in the presence of a male plant nearby.

The 'Red Beauty' Arctic Kiwi is interesting for creating fruit hedges due to its dense foliage and vigorous growth. It can also be used in an orchard to enjoy its tasty fruits. Planted at the base of a fence, a large trellis, or another rigid structure, this climbing plant grows upwards, creating natural and decorative screens. To accompany Actinidia kolomikta 'Red Beauty', plant a pollinator male plant, add the Actinidia arguta 'Issai', which also produces edible fruits, a Clematis montana like 'Rubens', known for its spectacular spring flowering, a Hydrangea petiolaris, another climbing vine with beautiful white flowers, and the Parthenocissus quinquefolia, a vigorous climber with decorative autumn foliage. These plants, all tolerant of partial shade, will create a harmonious and varied setting throughout the seasons.