Hardy kiwi vs Kiwifruit

Hardy kiwi and Kiwifruit are both good choices if you want your own fruit. The data below shows where they differ: size, pollination, harvest, hardiness, care and price.

Hardy kiwi

Actinidia arguta 9 m × 6 m after 10 years

A vigorous twining climber that bears grape-sized, smooth-skinned kiwis you can eat whole in early autumn, while giving dense green shade over a…

Fruit

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 140

Kiwifruit

Actinidia deliciosa 6 m × 3 m after 10 years

A vigorous, fast-growing vine with large heart-shaped leaves that bears the fuzzy kiwifruit known from the shops and also shades a pergola. Most…

Fruit

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 160

Key differences

Hardy kiwi grows larger: 9 m × 6 m after ten years, against 6 m × 3 m for Kiwifruit (an estimate: sources differ).
Hardy kiwi is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -12 °C for Kiwifruit.
Hardy kiwi needs less water than Kiwifruit.
Hardy kiwi also takes heavy clay, Kiwifruit needs a loose, free-draining soil.
Hardy kiwi is harvested in September–October, Kiwifruit in October–November.

Which one to choose?

Hardy kiwi is the better choice if the garden is cold or a frost pocket, you cannot water regularly or the soil is heavy clay.

Kiwifruit is the better choice if space is tight, but only in a sheltered spot with mild winters: it can freeze below -12 °C.

Watch out for

Hardy kiwi

The woody parts are winter hardy, but it leafs out early and late spring frosts easily kill the young shoots and flower buds, which means no crop that year. It is shallow rooted and drops leaves and fruit in summer drought unless watered. Prone to root rot in heavy, waterlogged soil. Cats are attracted by its scent and may chew or dig up young plants. Expect to wait several years for the first crop.

Kiwifruit

In Central Europe it is reliable only in a sheltered, warm position such as in front of a south wall: the dormant wood is damaged below about -10 to -12 °C, in a hard winter the vine can be cut back to the ground, and young plants need covering in their first years. It breaks bud early, and a late spring frost of only -1 to -2 °C kills the new shoots and with them that year's crop. Because of the long season the fruit does not always mature before the frosts in cooler places. Phytophthora root rot kills vines in waterlogged soil, leaves turn yellow on calcareous soil, and it needs regular, generous watering in summer.

The data side by side

Feature	Hardy kiwi	Kiwifruit
Group	Fruit	Fruit
Size after 10 years	9 m × 6 m	6 m × 3 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	7.6–9 m × 2.1–6 m	4.5–9 m × 1.8–3 m
Growth rate	Fast	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic	Average garden soil, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -12 °C (USDA 8, RHS H5)
Heat tolerance	no data	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	May–June, white, green	May–June, white
Harvest	September–October	October–November
Self-fertile	no, needs a pollinator	no, needs a pollinator
Water need	Medium	High
Drought tolerance	Low	Low
Maintenance	High	High
Planting distance	300 cm	400 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic (uncertain)	no data
For cats	Non-toxic (uncertain)	no data
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)	no data
Typical price	approx. CZK 140	approx. CZK 160

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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