Kiwis In Georgia

Q: Is it unusual for kiwi’s to be growing in northeast Georgia?

A: I think you are a bit too far north to grow grocery kiwi but there are other options. Hardy kiwi, Actinidia arguta, is different from the fuzzy kiwifruit, Actinidia deliciosa, commonly available at groceries. In fact, there are two kiwi vines that are completely  hardy here. Actinidia arguta has hairless fruit about the size of a grape. ‘Issai’ and ‘Anansnaya’ are sold by mail order nurseries for garden planting. A. kolomikta, ‘Arctic Beauty’ kiwi, is grown as an ornamental vine for its pink and white variegated younger leaves. A. kolomikta is particularly cold-hardy, with small but sweet fruit, very rich in vitamin C. I have a neighbor in Decatur who has a huge fuzzy kiwi vine. She has harvested kiwi for several years.