Description
Jenny is a self-fertile fuzzy kiwi, the classic brown-skinned, green-fleshed kiwifruit borne on a single vine that fruits without a separate male plant. It is prized as one of the hardiest and most dependable self-fruitful fuzzy kiwis, bringing true grocery-store style kiwis within reach of home gardeners who only have room for one vine.
The fruit is smaller than a supermarket kiwi, with the same sweet, bright green, tangy flesh, and it stores for weeks after picking. Fragrant creamy flowers open in spring on a fast, vigorous, handsome vine that quickly covers a trellis, arbor, or fence and doubles as a shade-giving ornamental.
Jenny is self-fruitful, so a single plant will set a crop, though a second kiwi nearby will increase both the yield and the size of the fruit. Give it a sturdy support and a sunny, sheltered spot with a long growing season, and it begins bearing within about three years.
Overview
- Self-fertile fuzzy kiwi that fruits on a single vine, with no separate male needed.
- One of the hardiest and most reliable self-fruitful fuzzy kiwis.
- Small, fuzzy brown fruit with sweet, bright green flesh that stores for weeks.
- Fast, vigorous, handsome vine for a trellis, arbor, or fence.
- Fragrant creamy spring flowers; begins bearing in about three years.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Actinidia deliciosa ‘Jenny’
Site and Soil: Full sun and a sheltered spot; deep, rich, well-drained soil; a sturdy trellis or arbor to carry the vine
Hardiness: USDA Zone 6-9; hardy to about 0°F, among the hardiest of the self-fertile fuzzy kiwis
Propagation: Grown on its own roots from cuttings
Size at Maturity: A vigorous vine, easily 8 to 10 ft or more on a support, kept in bounds with pruning
Bloom Time: Spring; fragrant creamy white flowers
Ripening Time: October to November
Fruit: Small, fuzzy brown-skinned kiwis about half the size of a supermarket kiwi, with sweet, bright green, tangy flesh
Pollination: Self-fertile; a single plant will fruit, and a second kiwi nearby increases yield and fruit size
Bearing Age: Usually begins fruiting within about three years
Uses: Fresh eating, storing, and ornamental screening on a trellis or arbor
Pests & Diseases: Generally trouble-free; protect early growth from late spring frosts
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Kiwis ripen best off the vine, so pick the fruit firm once it has reached full size in mid to late fall, then let it soften indoors; give the vine a strong support from the start, because a mature kiwi is heavy and long-lived.
- Regional Insight: Jenny suits mild-winter regions with a long growing season, from the maritime Pacific Northwest and coastal California to the Southeast, and its extra cold-hardiness stretches it into sheltered zone 6 gardens where a wall or a warm corner buffers late frosts.
- Explore more in our collection: Kiwi
