Kiwi Plant kiw'Happy (female) - Actinidia deliciosa

The female Actinidia deliciosa 'Kiw'Happy is a variety with very attractive and delicious golden yellow fruits. This vigorous climber can exceed 5 m in height and cover a support as wide as a pergola or a veranda. Its large, almost round to oval leaves and its exuberance give it an almost tropical look. It produces a lovely spring flowering that requires the presence of a nearby male plant to produce the well-known reddish-brown fruits. These have a sweet, juicy yellow flesh and are enjoyed in October and November. Relatively hardy, the plant grows in sunny, non-calcareous, fertile, and moist soil.

Actinidia deliciosa is part of the small family of Actinidiaceae to which it has given its name. The Kiwi has several dozen species, mostly mostly dioecious climbing vines: there are male and female plants, therefore requiring their common presence to obtain fruits. Different groups of Kiwis are distinguished, mainly the Kiwai (Actinidia arguta) or Siberian Kiwi with small edible fruits, an ornamental Kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) with green leaves whose tips turn pink and white, and the most famous of all thanks to New Zealand nurserymen who have spread it worldwide, the Kiwi, or Actinidia deliciosa, formerly called Actinidia chinensis due to its Chinese origin. Originating from the Hubei province in central China, this vigorous climber grows up to 8 m in height, and its long flexible stems can grow up to 3 m and reach the diameter of a finger in one season. This deciduous climber is adorned with orbicular to oval leaves, 8 to 20 cm long by 6 to 15 cm wide. In spring, short shoots develop on the previous year's branches and bear cream-white flowers, slightly fragrant, which on female plants will develop into fruits after being pollinated by the pollen from male plants. 'Kiw'Happy' is a modern selection that combines female subjects, as well as males. A male plant can pollinate 5 to 6 female plants planted in close proximity (2 to 3 m). This female plant should be planted at the base of a structure capable of supporting it, as well as another male plant. A trellis securely attached to a wall can do the trick, but it is wiser to choose a pergola. The vigorous plant can then spread out, spread its shoots with large, almost round leaves that will overlap each other, forming a dense vegetal mass that will block the sun's rays and provide strong shade.
Between April and June depending on the region, simple cream-white flowers about 4 cm in diameter bloom. Slightly fragrant, they are appreciated by bees and other pollinators. When the plant reaches sexual maturity, around 3 or 4 years old, the flowers can be pollinated by pollen from male flowers. They then produce the famous reddish-brown fruits whose hairy appearance evokes that of the Kiwi, the mascot bird of New Zealand. These are harvested in October-November and are enjoyed when they are soft to the touch. Their yellow flesh is sweet, juicy, and slightly acidic. Kiwi is rich in vitamin C, fibre, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, and is also an excellent source of antioxidants. If picked before ripening, the fruit continues to ripen later. It also keeps very well when refrigerated.

The Kiwi 'Kiw'Happy is hardy down to -15°C when well established, but late frost can harm it, as buds freeze around -5°C. Plant it in a somewhat sheltered and sunny location, except in the south where it tolerates some shade. Its exotic appearance will allow you to create a distinctive atmosphere, which you can enhance by accompanying it with other plants in the same spirit. Star Jasmine or Trachelospermum jasminoides is another climber capable of covering a large area and whose strong fragrance will accompany you all summer. Its small lanceolate dark green leaves will contrast with those of your Kiwi, and if you want a stronger contrast, opt for its variegated form, Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Sun Lover', slightly less vigorous, with green leaves variegated with white. And for varying effects and volumes, plant near your pergola a Decaisnea fargesii, a medium-sized shrub that will amaze your friends with its yellow star-shaped flowers that produce surprising turquoise pods in autumn, very ornamental.