Kiwi Plant Belen (male) - Actinidia deliciosa

The Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) 'Belen' (male) is a variety that offers beautiful scented white flowers between late April and early June. This is a male plant, which will not produce fruit but will enable the pollination of female plants (such as 'Sorelli', for example, which flowers at the same time). It can be trained along a pergola, trellis, or arbour. Planting is ideally done in autumn or any time of the year when there is no frost.

The Kiwi (Actinidia chinensis or deliciosa), also known as the Chinese gooseberry or yang tao, is the fruit of the Kiwi vine. It belongs to the Actinidiaceae family, just like its cousin the Kiwai (Actinidia arguta). Originating from China, the kiwi is a vigorous climbing liana that can grow up to 3m (10ft) per year under favourable conditions. This climbing plant needs to be trained on a strong support, such as a wall with sturdy wires, a trellis, an arbour, a tree trunk, or a fence. It can reach a height of 6m (20ft) and a width of 4m (13ft) and requires pruning to control its growth.

Some varieties are self-fertile (both male and female flowers on the same plant) and can be planted alone. Other varieties bear either male or female flowers and require the presence of a plant of the opposite sex for pollination. One male plant can pollinate approximately 5 to 6 female plants. Only the female plants produce fruit.

The Kiwi is very hardy, able to withstand temperatures as low as -15°C, but is sensitive to late frosts as the buds freeze at -5°C. Its foliage is deciduous. The stems bear large, smooth, ovate leaves, dark matte green on the upper side and lighter underneath, covered along with the stems by small red hairs. From the third or fourth year of cultivation, clusters of flowers appear in May-June on the previous year's branches. These are fragrant flowers with broad petals, creamy white in colour. Male flowers have numerous yellow stamens, while female flowers have white stigmas.

On female plants, Flowering is followed by the formation of large fleshy ovoid berries, weighing approximately 60 grams. The thin skin is light brown and hairy for Actinidia deliciosa species or smooth for Actinidia chinensis species. The flesh is green, sometimes yellow for certain varieties, and contains numerous small black seeds. Kiwi is rich in vitamin C, fiber, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The harvest takes place around November, before the frosts. The fruits can be picked even if they are still green as they continue to ripen after harvest. They can be stored well at a cool temperature of 5°C, in a cellar, for over a month. The Kiwi is ripe when it is soft to the touch. Place kiwis next to apples or bananas to speed up their ripening process. Once peeled, kiwi can be enjoyed fresh or mixed with other autumn fruits, used in jams, or used as decoration for pies and certain savory dishes.