Kiwi berry
Actinidia arguta
Also called Hardy kiwi, Cocktail kiwi and Baby kiwi
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitGrape-sized, smooth-skinned and eaten whole — no fur, no peeling. It is far hardier than the fuzzy kiwi and crops in a normal British summer, but it needs a male plant nearby unless the label says self-fertile.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 5 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 8 m tall · 4 m across
- Lifecycle
- Climber
- Origin
- East Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Years of strong growth and flowers, and never a berry. Most varieties are male OR female and need the other — check the label, because a lone plant will flower happily for a decade and fruit never.No fruit at all · disorder
- The base of the stems chewed, shredded and rolled on, on a young plant. Actinidia affects cats the way catmint does; a wire guard for the first two years is the whole answer.Cats · pest