Garden planner Plant finder Plants Pricing My garden
Fruit

Golden kiwifruit

Actinidia chinensis

Golden kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is a fruit plant. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -12 °C. Drought tolerance: low. Sold in local shops from about €24. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Golden kiwifruit
An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

In Central Europe this is a container or cold-greenhouse plant rather than a garden vine: even a dormant plant only takes about -12 to -15 °C, so in the ground it survives only in the mildest corners against a south wall with thorough winter cover. It is a vigorous deciduous climber with sweet yellow-fleshed fruit and needs a sturdy pergola or wire trellis. Plants are male or female, so grow a male kiwi next to the fruiting one (one male serves six to ten females), and expect the fruit to ripen only in late October or November. In a tub, cut it back in autumn, keep it frost-free, cool and bright over winter, and put it out only after the last frost.

We do not recommend this plant
We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.
Watch out for
Winter is the main problem in Central Europe: it is more tender than green kiwifruit, trunks can split at around -10 °C and young plants are easily killed. Spring shoots are blackened by a single night of late frost, which also costs that year's crop. It needs a long warm autumn, and in cooler areas the fruit does not ripen before the frosts. Waterlogged soil leads to root rot, while drought leaves the fruit small, so regular watering is needed.

Key facts

Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water need
High
Care
High
Size after 10 years
5 m × 4 m
Hardiness
down to -12 °C
Foliage
Deciduous
Flowering
May–June, white, yellow
Group Fruit
Light Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years 5 m × 4 m
Ultimate size 5–8 m × 3–5 m
Hardiness down to -12 °C (USDA 8, RHS H5)
Soil Average garden soil, Sandy, Clay, Acidic
Foliage Deciduous
Flowering May–June, white, yellow
Harvest October–November
Self-fertile no
Water need High
Drought tolerance Low
Maintenance High
Root aggressiveness Low
Suckering no
Spreading Low
Distance from buildings at least 2.5 m
Distance from paving at least 0.5 m
Litter not typical
Planting distance 450 cm
For dogs no data
For cats no data
For children no data
Typical price from about €24

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Illustration of Hardy kiwi

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 €6.90
Illustration of Kiwifruit

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 €7.90
Illustration of Black mulberry

Black mulberry

Morus nigra 3.5 m × 3 m after 10 years

This is the mulberry with the best fruit: large, juicy, sweet-sharp, almost black berries that ripen in succession for weeks from midsummer, and a…

Fruit
Full sun
from about €12
Illustration of Peach

Peach

Prunus persica 3.5 m × 3.5 m after 10 years

A fast-growing fruit tree that starts cropping early, with pink spring blossom and juicy fruit ripening from midsummer to early autumn; the…

Fruit
Full sun
from about €14

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size
Typical price
size not stated approx. €24

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 13, 2026 · How our data is made

Looks good next to it

Rhododendron × hybridum

Dianthus plumarius

Acorus gramineus

© 2026 tomorrow.garden · All rights reserved.