Where Do Kiwis Grow? And Other Fun Facts About This Fuzzy Fruit!

Did you know that the kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is named after the brown feathered bird kiwi which is the national bird of New Zealand?

Although surprisingly, New Zealand is not the first place in the world where the kiwi fruit was found. It was in China where the first-ever kiwi plants were found.

In the early years of the 20th century, a school teacher brought kiwi seeds to New Zealand and introduced the fruit to the island.

It was found that the kiwi originated in East Asia due to the climatic conditions. Kiwi plants grow best when they are present in a climate that is consistently warm, receiving a good amount of sunshine.

Due to the origin of the kiwi fruit in China, the fruit is also known as a Chinese gooseberry.

It was due to the spread of the kiwi fruit from China to New Zealand which led to the fruit being commercially produced by New Zealand, which was also one of the first commercial producers of the fruit. However, in today's world, it is China that tops the chart.

There are many health benefits of kiwis due to which a large number of countries look to produce this fruit on a commercial scale.

The kiwi fruit is especially well known for its fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Antioxidants fight the overgrowth of free radicals which are capable of cell damage.

Some of the other health benefits you can receive from the fruits of a kiwi plant include the likes of healthy skin, better sleep, and improved blood pressure. Moreover, doctors advise women to eat kiwi fruit during pregnancy to gain all the necessary nutrients.

The growth method of the kiwi fruit plant is quite similar to grapes as both grow like vines. Kiwi plants do not grow as a solo tree such as that of an apple, rather they take support of some other object and grow along with it like a vine.

Interestingly, after each harvest season, gardeners need to prune these vines as they look to begin another growing season. Not pruning the vines before growing would lead to more fruits than the vine could support.

It would cause a fall in the quality of fruit produced.

Moreover, the growing season differs in both the hemispheres as in New Zealand this fruit is harvested from March to May which marks the fall season and temperatures begin to fall. On the other hand, in China, the harvest season is during September and October.

The method of pollination by bees plays a key role in engaging the male plant and the female plant in the production of the kiwi fruit. As an interesting fact about this fruit, when the kiwi plant is 8-10 years old, it is at its peak of producing the most kiwis.

Although if in one particular season, there is a drastic increase in production, the following season will be a below-average one in terms of harvest.

It could take less than three to four years for kiwi fruit to grow. The landmark of the giant kiwi fruit, Kiwi 360 is found in Te Puke, New Zealand.

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Where do kiwis grow in the US?

There are more than 40 different types of kiwi fruit all over the world. The typical kiwi fruit has a green-colored peel but many are also golden or golden brown colored.

The different breeds of kiwi fruits are due to the various places in the world where they are grown.

Some species of kiwi fruits are in fact sweeter and have a smoother texture than the other ones.

Hardy kiwi, scientifically known as Actinidia arguta, is a prime example of a species of kiwi fruit which although is not the most popular, it is gaining popularity in the world due to its sweet taste and relatively high nutritional values. This has also led to an increase in the production of this kiwi fruit in the United States.

Typically, the United States is not one of those countries where kiwi production is very popular. These fruits do not grow on trees, but grow on vines.

Kiwi vines can be found in countries such as China, Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Iran, and Greece.

Although in the recent past, California has developed into a destination where the commercial production of kiwi fruit now takes place. Other than California, the production of hardy kiwis is on a rise in some parts of the Pacific Northwest.

This rapid rise in production has led the United States to be one of the top 10 kiwi-producing countries in the world.

Studies are being undertaken in research labs and universities to determine if a hardy kiwi can be a viable crop for planting in the state of Ohio. Scientists are working to find out how fertile the soil of Ohio is and the soil of some other potential states for growing kiwi fruit vines.

As an interesting fact about kiwi vines, kiwi vines produce white-colored fragrant flowers along with the fruit.

The fragrance of the flower in growing kiwi plants is thought to be very similar to that of the lily of the valley. If you plan to grow kiwi plants in your garden, you will be blessed with the fragrance of the small white flower.

Where do kiwis grow naturally?

Kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is known by different names all over the world such as Chinese gooseberry.

Although at present kiwi vines are found in a number of countries, the fruit is native to China and Taiwan. The kiwi plant was first known to grow wildly in China but was then taken to New Zealand in the early 20th century from where it then spread to the entire world.

Australia and New Zealand refer to a kiwi as a kiwifruit as the people living there recognize the bird kiwi by saying 'kiwi, not the fruit'.

A kiwi was recognized as a kiwifruit in the 12th century in China and it was considered to be a fruit growing in the wild that had medicinal powers.

As it was mainly only used for healing, it was not especially grown in the form of a commercial crop. Owing to the sweet taste and medicinal values of the plant, a number of countries began to grow kiwi vines.

The process began when kiwi fruits reached New Zealand and turned into a commercial crop from the mid-'40s.

During the Second World War, British and American soldiers present in New Zealand enjoyed this fruit and this led to the fruit being spread to Great Britain and then to the United States, especially California. Kiwi vines are also present in Australia with the majority of the production of the fruit coming from Victoria and New South Wales.

With the spread and development of kiwi fruits, there are now different species of kiwi vines such as the hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) and the golden kiwi (Actinidia chinensis).

As an interesting fact about kiwi vines, they are dioecious, which means that both female flowers and male flowers are borne on separate individuals.

This also means that a kiwi plant is either a male or female plant. Some species of kiwi plants have the capability to self pollinate, however it is not an effective and efficient method, and the output is better when the male plant is present for pollination.

In the process of pollination, one male plant produces pollens which female plants then receive and fertilize in their ovules leading to the growth of new fruit.

It is believed that one male plant is adequate for around three to eight female plants.

Male and female vines are not a type of fruit tree, they grow on a support structure just the way grapevines do. Kiwi vines need to undergo pruning sessions often to maintain the amount of growth of fruits.

It does not matter if you are planting seeds in very fertile soil, if you do not prune, the kiwi fruit will not be of good quality as the vine will not be able to take the weight of all the kiwis that have grown on the stems.

Where do golden kiwis grow?

Golden kiwis (Actinidia chinensis) is a breed of kiwi fruit but its appearance makes it stand out from the usual green-colored kiwis. These kiwis are known to be 'golden' due to the color present under the peel.

It is yellowish in color and has a bronze-colored skin on the top. Additionally, the skin is also smoother than green kiwis due to which people often consume golden kiwis whole without peeling.

The best quality golden kiwi fruit is produced when it is grown in fertile soil and the climate is temperate.

This type of a climate supports the growth of the golden kiwi fruit and it can be best found in some parts of New Zealand and in southern, coastal areas of Italy. Italy in fact ranks second when it comes to the top 10 kiwi fruit-producing countries in the world.

The fact that the Actinidia chinensis is less hairy than Actinidia arguta in particular and all other fuzzy green colored kiwi fruits in general results in yellow kiwis being more expensive.

Although both, the golden and green kiwi fruit are pretty healthy, there are some specific nutritional differences between them. A golden kiwi fruit plant produces fruits that have more vitamin C than green-colored kiwi fruits.

Green kiwis on the other hand contain more dietary fiber and sugar than gold-colored ones.

Although, if you are planning on getting seeds of a kiwi plant and planting them in your garden, you can go ahead with either one as both are nutritious.

At the same time, keep in mind that on average, kiwi plant seeds when they become mature plants can be up to 15-30 ft (4.5-9 m) in height and 6-10 ft (1.8-3 m) in width.

How to tell if a kiwi plant is male or female?

Growing kiwi fruits might not seem like a very difficult task to undertake, it is just like growing any other plant in the garden but what might come up as a hindrance is distinguishing between male and female kiwi plants in the garden.

Growers who have some knowledge about trees, plants, and flowers might be able to distinguish between the two plants but for newbies, it might be tricky until they know the logic or the method of differentiating.

Some researchers and scientists argue that some kiwi plants are capable of self-pollination which leads to the growing number of kiwi fruits, but in reality, self-pollination is not as effective as pollination carried out by the wind or bees.

There is a high chance that even though you put in a lot of effort in growing kiwi fruits in your garden, you may not see a lot of fruits or flowers due to self-pollination. The reason for this can be due to a lack of male or female kiwi plants.

It is recommended that for every male kiwi plant, there must be three to eight female kiwi plants.

The best time to distinguish between these plants is during the spring season, by looking at the flowers on a kiwi vine.

Now while you look in the center of the flowers of the kiwi vine, if the part in the middle is yellow in color with pollen covered anthers, then that plant is a male kiwi plant.

On the other hand, if the center of the flower contains white stigmas along with some yellow anthers present on the edges, then this is a female kiwi plant. The white stigmas present in a growing female kiwi plant are sticky in nature and catch pollen grains from male stigmas.

Once you have determined the number of male and female plants growing in your garden early on in the season, you can now rectify the ratio if necessary and can then enjoy fast-growing kiwi fruits on kiwi vines.

Also, keep in mind to prune often.

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