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Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant hardy kiwi

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 15 – May 3; Spokane Apr 15 – Jun 3; Boise Apr 1 – May 20; Bend May 12 – Jun 30.

Hardy kiwi is a vigorous climbing vine from northeast Asia, a cousin of the grocery-store kiwifruit that takes far colder winters. The small fruit is eaten fresh by the handful, like grapes. Vines often take several years after planting to start fruiting.

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Puts hardy kiwi on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty
Moderate
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Spacing
10 to 15 feet apart
Planting depth
Same depth as in the pot
Frost
Hardy perennial; comes back every year
First harvest
First fruit in three to five years

Grape-sized, fuzzless kiwis you eat skin and all. Most varieties need a male plant for up to eight females, and the vines need a sturdy arbor. Late spring frosts kill new shoots, so avoid frost pockets.

Hardy kiwi planting dates

TownsPlant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WAMar 15 – May 3
Spokane, WAApr 15 – Jun 3
Boise and Meridian, ID, Astoria, ORApr 1 – May 20
Bend and Redmond, ORMay 12 – Jun 30

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Hardy kiwi year at a glance

TaskJFMAMJJASOND
PlantMarAprMay
HarvestSepOct

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.

How to grow hardy kiwi

  1. Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
  2. Plant hardy kiwi vines on your city's dates, 10 to 15 feet apart. Same depth as in the pot.
  3. Plant one male for up to eight females unless you grow Issai. Build a strong arbor or T-bar trellis. Prune hard in winter and again lightly in summer to tame the vines.
  4. Harvest: Pick in September when a few fruits soften on the vine, then ripen the firm ones at room temperature or store them in the fridge for weeks.

Growing hardy kiwi in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Hardy kiwi grows vigorously. Late spring frosts can damage new shoots, so avoid low frost pockets.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Hardy kiwi needs steady water in hot summers and protection from late frosts.

High desert and mountain towns

Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon

Late frosts can damage new growth. Plant in a sheltered spot.

More hardy kiwi varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Ananasnaya

Female arguta vine · Ripens September

Often sold as Anna, it bears sweet, aromatic green fruit with a hint of pineapple. One of the most popular hardy kiwis; it needs a male vine such as Meader nearby.

Both sides

Ken's Red

Female arguta vine, red · Ripens September

Small fruit with red-purple skin and flesh and sweet, slightly tart flavor. It needs a male vine for pollination and makes a striking addition to a fruit arbor.

Both sides

Issai

Self-fertile arguta vine · Ripens September

A compact, self-fertile hardy kiwi that bears without a male, though crops are bigger with one nearby. A good choice when space allows only a single vine.

Both sides

Meader

Male arguta pollinizer

A male vine grown to pollinate female hardy kiwis such as Ananasnaya and Ken's Red. One male can serve up to eight females; it bears no fruit itself.

Both sides

Arctic Beauty

Kolomikta kiwi, ornamental · Ripens August

Grown for its leaves splashed with pink and white, and very cold-hardy. Female plants bear small, sweet fruit when a male is nearby; it tolerates more shade than arguta kiwis.

Both sides

How much to grow

How many to plant

Plant one male vine for up to six to eight females, unless you buy a self-fertile variety like 'Issai'.

What to expect

A mature female vine can give 25 to 50 pounds or more once it's four to six years old.

Storing the harvest

Firm fruit keeps for weeks in the fridge. Ripen at room temperature.

Key numbers

Top care tip: Prune hard in winter and lightly in summer, or the vines quickly take over.

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Males, females and Issai

Hardy kiwi plants are either male or female. Only females bear fruit, but they need pollen from a male that blooms at the same time, so plant one male, such as Meader, for up to eight females like Ananasnaya or Ken's Red. Nurseries label plants by sex because you can't tell them apart until they flower.

Issai is self-fertile, so a single vine can fruit on its own. It's smaller and less vigorous than other hardy kiwis, which suits small gardens, but it's also a bit less cold-hardy.

A strong support and regular pruning

Hardy kiwis are enormous, vigorous vines that can grow 20 feet in a season. They need a sturdy arbor, pergola or T-bar trellis built before planting; a light trellis will collapse under a mature vine.

Fruit grows on new shoots that sprout from last year's wood. In winter, cut back the previous summer's growth and remove tangled, old or weak canes. Then in summer, trim long, whippy shoots that aren't bearing fruit to keep the vine manageable. Young vines can be attractive to cats, so a wire cage around the base the first year helps.

Frost, harvest and storage

The dormant vines are very cold-hardy, but tender new shoots and flower buds are killed by late spring frost. Avoid low spots where cold air settles, and cover young vines on frosty spring nights. A vine that loses its first flush of shoots usually regrows but won't fruit much that year.

Pick in September when a few fruits soften on the vine. The firm ones ripen at room temperature in a few days or keep for weeks in the refrigerator, so you can ripen small batches as you go.

Good neighbors

Good neighbors

  • A strong arbor or trellis. The vines get heavy.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with hardy kiwi in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Late spring frost

Signs: Blackened new shoots.

What to do: Plant away from frost pockets and cover young vines.

Cats

Signs: Chewed young vines; the scent attracts them.

What to do: Wrap young vines in wire mesh.

Overgrowth

Signs: A tangle of vines with little fruit.

What to do: Prune hard in winter and summer.

Common questions about growing hardy kiwi

When should I plant hardy kiwi in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 15 – May 3 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 15 – Jun 3 in Spokane, Apr 1 – May 20 in Boise and May 12 – Jun 30 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

Do you need a male and female hardy kiwi?

Yes, for most varieties. Plant one male for up to eight females. Issai is the exception: it's self-fertile and fruits on its own.

Can you eat hardy kiwi skin?

Yes. Hardy kiwis are grape-sized and fuzzless, with smooth, thin skin you eat along with the fruit. They taste like a sweet, intense version of a grocery-store kiwi.

Why isn't my hardy kiwi fruiting?

Young vines often take three to five years to start. Other common causes are a missing male plant, a late frost that killed the flower buds, or a male plant that blooms at a different time from the females.

Also on these lists:

See what else to plant in March, April or May.

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