Kiwi Plant kiw'Happy (male) - Actinidia deliciosa

The Actinidia deliciosa 'Kiw'Happy' male is a vine-plant of kiwi whose main purpose is to pollinate the female plants of Kiw'Happy. Nevertheless, it also has an ornamental interest due to its exotic appearance, which quickly gives a tropical touch to the garden because of its rapid growth. In spring, its cream-white flowering is quite decorative, and it is especially its large, almost round leaves that catch the eye. It is advisable to train it on a pergola or arbor that it will quickly cover, thus providing beneficial shade in summer. Deciduous, the leaves will fall at the end of the season, allowing the sunlight to pass through. Well-rooted, the plant proves to be hardy down to about -15°C.

The Actinidia deliciosa, formerly known as Actinidia chinensis, is one of the three genera of the small Actinidiaceae family from which it gets its name. The Actinidia comes in several dozen species, mostly dioecious vines, meaning that the female and male flowers are borne on separate plants, requiring their common presence to produce fruit (unlike monoecious plants bearing female and male flowers on the same plant allowing cross fertilization). Kiwis are best known, a term that refers to both the plant and its fruit, but there are also ornamental species, such as Actinidia kolomikta whose leaf tips turn pink and white. Originating from central China (Hubei province), hence its former name Actinidia chinensis, this vigorous climber can reach a height of 8 m, and its long stems can grow to the diameter of a finger in a single season. It bears orbicular to ovate leaves, 8 to 20 cm long by 6 to 15 cm wide. The fragrant cream-white flowers appear in spring, measuring 3 to 4 cm in diameter, with the male flowers slightly smaller than the female ones. They appear on short shoots, which develop on the previous year's branches. The female plants then bear brownish-red fruits covered in hairs, well-known since New Zealand nurserymen started trading them, naming them after their favorite bird.
Kiw'Happy is a kiwi selection with yellow-fleshed fruits, rather than green like the botanical species. Slightly less vigorous than the latter, this climber will easily reach a height of 4 to 5 m, even more, with a width of 3 to 4 m. It bears large, round to oval, dark green leaves on the upper side and lighter underneath. Its growth is very rapid if adequately watered, and it absolutely needs a (sturdy) support to grow on, which it will quickly colonize. Between April and June, depending on the year and region, small cream-white flowers approximately 3 cm in diameter, with 5 or 6 petals, slightly scented and melliferous, bloom. The stamens are pollen-rich, allowing them to fertilize the flowers of a nearby female plant (2 to 3 m away). Your male kiwi, however, will not bear fruit, but can pollinate 5 to 6 female plants. In late autumn, the foliage will fall to the ground, representing a significant volume due to the size of the leaves and the rapid growth of the plant.

The Actinidia deliciosa 'Kiw'Happy' male will be perfect for shading a pergola under which you can enjoy the summer without suffering from high temperatures. Its almost tropical appearance allows for an interesting scene in the garden, especially if you combine it with other distinctive plants, such as the Passiflora caerulea 'Purple Haze', a purple variation of the blue Passion Flower. Less known but equally astonishing, the Campsis capreolata is a climber with bi-coloured yellow and dark red flowers that emit a strong scent of chocolate mixed with coffee!