Prolific Hardy Kiwi

🌿 Ships well rooted in a 3.5 x 9 inch deep tree pot. May arrive dormant and without leaves/foliage December through April.

If you've only ever eaten a grocery store kiwi, you're missing the real thing. Hardy kiwi berries are grape-sized, smooth-skinned, and eaten whole — no peeling — with a flavor sweeter and less acidic than their fuzzy supermarket cousins. A mature vine can yield 50–100 pounds of fruit annually for 30+ years, making it one of the highest-return perennial investments in a food forest or home garden. 'Prolific' is the standout variety for home growers: self-fertile, meaning it sets fruit without a male plant (though adding one nearby significantly boosts yield), more compact than most arguta varieties, and an exceptionally heavy producer. The vine itself earns its place ornamentally too — large, glossy heart-shaped leaves on vigorous twining stems make excellent living shade over a pergola, trellis, or arbor. Plant it, train it, prune it annually, and it will feed you for decades.
A few things to know: Hardy kiwi is vigorous — give it a sturdy structure from the start. Cats are attracted to the roots and foliage (similar to catnip) so protect young plants. Fruit typically arrives in fall of years 3–5 as the vine matures.

🌿 Latin Name: Actinidia arguta 'Prolific'
🌞 Light: Full sun to part shade; best fruit production in full sun
🌱 Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic, moderately fertile; avoid overly rich soil which encourages excess vine over fruit
💧 Water: Moderate; consistent moisture; deeply rooted once established
📏 Mature Size: 15–20 ft vine; requires sturdy trellis, pergola, or arbor
🌸 Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer; small, fragrant greenish-white flowers
🍈 Fruit: Fall harvest; grape-sized, smooth-skinned, eat whole — no peeling; sweeter than grocery kiwi
🗺️ Hardiness Zone: 4–9
🐝 Wildlife Value: Flowers attract bees and beneficial insects
✅ Self-Fertile: Yes — sets fruit without a male; adding a male A. arguta nearby increases yield significantly
⚠️ Note: Protect young plants from cats, which are attracted to the roots and foliage; provide sturdy support structure before planting