Actinidia arguta Issai Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Hardy Kiwi, Kiwiberry (self-fertile)

Actinidia arguta Issai

£12.99 £14.99 SAVE 13%
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
15cm / 1.5L £12.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

Complete the set up
Description

Actinidia arguta Issai is the self-fertile kiwiberry, a hardy kiwi that fruits on its own with no separate male plant needed. One vigorous vine is all it takes to crop grape-sized, smooth-skinned kiwiberries you can eat whole, skin and all. This is an easy, rewarding edible climber for a warm wall, fence or pergola.

Fully hardy in the UK, Actinidia arguta Issai is a twining deciduous climber that races away each spring to 3 to 5m. Small white flowers open in early summer and are followed by fruit that ripens through autumn. The lush foliage doubles as a fast leafy screen, so it earns its place even before the first crop. For a picture of how hardy exotics settle in season by season, see our hardy exotics what to expect guide.

Water well through the first few summers while the vine establishes and again while it is fruiting. Prune in winter to build a framework and shorten long whippy summer growth to keep it productive. As a self-fertile kiwiberry it is perfect where there is room for only one plant, and it is just as at home in a large container as in the ground. Browse more of our hardy exotics, or pair it with other exotic border plants and plants for pollinators whose early-summer flowers the bees will thank you for.

Grown as a fast, leafy climber this kiwi berry plant makes an excellent living screen for privacy, and it happily crops from a big pot for patios and courtyards, so it suits our plants for pots too. Every kiwiberry vine leaves our nursery strong, well-rooted and ready to grow.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

Find out more

What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

Best quality plants guaranteed
7 day live arrival guarantee
Delivered to your door with care
Earn 64 points with this plant · 5 points per £1 Join free

How to care for Hardy Kiwi, Kiwiberry (self-fertile)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Hardy Kiwi, Kiwiberry (self-fertile)

Actinidia arguta Issai needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Screening & Privacy Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

Fully hardy (RHS H5), cropping best in a warm sunny position.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

Full sun in a warm, sheltered spot for the best crop; it will take light partial shade.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Fertile, moist but well-drained soil, with a wire, trellis or arch to twine up.

Watering

Water well through the first summers and while fruiting. Prune in winter to a framework and shorten long summer growth. Read moreShow less

Water well through the first summers and while fruiting. Prune in winter to a framework and shorten long summer growth.

Mature size

Height3-5 m
Spread1.5-3 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

May-Jun · White

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Vigorous fruiting climber — in winter cut each stem back to a few buds beyond last year's fruited wood, then in summer shorten the long whippy new shoots to keep it in check.

Toxicity

No toxicity concerns. The fruits are edible, eaten whole with their smooth skin.

Native range

E. Asia

Family

Actinidiaceae

Also known as

Actinidia arguta Issai

Genus

Actinidia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need two plants for Actinidia Issai to fruit?

No, Issai is self-fertile, so a single plant will crop on its own.

What does a kiwiberry taste like?

Like a smooth-skinned mini kiwi, sweet and eaten whole with no need to peel.

How big does Actinidia Issai grow?

A vigorous twining climber reaching 3 to 5m, best on a wire or trellis where it doubles as a fast leafy screen for privacy.

Is Actinidia Issai hardy in the UK?

Yes, it is fully hardy; a warm sheltered sunny spot gives the best crop.

When does Issai kiwiberry fruit?

Small white flowers in early summer are followed by fruit ripening in autumn, and the blooms are loved by pollinators.

How do you prune a kiwiberry vine?

Build a framework in winter and shorten long whippy summer growth to keep it productive.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

Verified reviews

Rated by real customers

You may also like

We recommend
Actinidia arguta Issai
£12.99 £14.99