Description
Red Princess is a New Zealand hardy kiwi selection grown for its red flesh, a cross of the Actinidia arguta variety Cordifolia and Actinidia melanandra. The fruit is small, smooth-skinned and oval, eaten whole with no peeling, and the color inside is what sets it apart from the green kiwi berries most people know.
Like every hardy kiwi it is a vigorous deciduous vine that wants a strong trellis and room to run, reaching 10 to 12 ft at maturity in full sun and well-drained, fertile soil. It is a female selection, so it needs a male hardy kiwi nearby to set fruit; one male will pollinate up to eight females. Fruit ripens mid to late September, and vines usually begin bearing three to four years after planting.
Overview
- Red-fleshed New Zealand hardy kiwi, a cross of Actinidia arguta Cordifolia and A. melanandra.
- Small, smooth-skinned oval berries eaten whole like grapes, no peeling, with sweet, concentrated kiwi flavor.
- Red interior sets it apart from the usual green kiwi berries.
- Vigorous deciduous vine, 10 to 12 ft, for a strong trellis, fence, or arbor.
- Female vine: plant a male hardy kiwi nearby to set fruit.
- Very cold-hardy, to roughly -25 F; ripens mid to late September.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Actinidia arguta ‘Cordifolia’ x Actinidia melanandra
Site and Soil: Full sun; deep, fertile, well-drained soil; needs a strong trellis, fence, or arbor to climb
Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-8; hardy to roughly -25 F
Propagation: Grown on its own roots from cuttings
Size at Maturity: A vigorous vine reaching 10 to 12 ft, more where it has room to run
Bloom Time: Spring
Ripening Time: Mid to late September
Fruit: Small, smooth-skinned oval berries with red flesh, eaten whole like a grape
Pollination: Female selection; needs a male hardy kiwi nearby, and one male pollinates up to eight females
Bearing Age: Usually begins fruiting three to four years after planting
Uses: Fresh eating by the handful; also freezes and dries well
Pests & Diseases: Generally healthy and vigorous, with few serious pest or disease problems
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Give it a sturdy trellis or arbor from the start and prune each winter to keep the vigorous growth in bounds, because a hardy kiwi left unsupported quickly becomes a tangle.
- Regional Insight: Hardy kiwis thrive across cooler temperate North America, from the Pacific Northwest and upper Midwest through the Northeast, anywhere the season is long enough to ripen the fall crop.
- Explore more in our collection: Kiwi
