Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Golden Kiwi

Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)

£19.29 £19.99 SAVE 3%
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
15cm / 1.5L £19.29

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Description

Edible fruit. Sold here as a fruit-bearing plant grown for its harvest of golden kiwifruit, not as an ornamental.

The kiwi plant (Actinidia deliciosa) is one of the most rewarding fruiting climbers you can grow in a British garden, prized as much for its lush, tropical-looking foliage as for its crop of fuzzy fruit. This is the classic kiwi vine, a vigorous deciduous twiner that clothes walls, pergolas and arches in large, heart-shaped leaves before unfurling fragrant, cream-white flowers in early summer. Sold here as a Golden Kiwi for its warm, golden-green flesh, it brings a genuine exotic edge to the hardy garden.

Native to China, this Actinidia deliciosa makes a real statement. New stems emerge reddish-brown and slightly bristly, twining their way up any sturdy support, while the broad leaves create dense, leafy cover through the growing season. The early-summer flowers are loved by bees and other pollinators, and on a well-grown, pollinated plant they are followed by the familiar egg-sized fruit in autumn.

How and where to grow

Give your kiwi vine a warm, sheltered, sunny position, ideally a south or west facing wall, where the wood can ripen fully and the fruit can sweeten. It enjoys deep, fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil enriched with plenty of organic matter, and tolerates a wide range of soil types and pH. This is a big, energetic climber that can reach 5-8 m, so a strong framework and yearly winter pruning are essential to keep it productive and tidy.

  • Position: full sun, sheltered from cold winds and late frost
  • Soil: deep, fertile, moist but free-drained
  • Hardiness: hardy across most of the UK (RHS H4) once established
  • Pollination: most plants need a male and female, or choose a self-fertile form

Hardy to around -10 to -15C, the kiwi plant copes with typical UK winters, though a root mulch helps in colder gardens. Whether you are searching to buy a kiwi plant for its harvest or simply want a fast, handsome screen, this is a generous and characterful choice. Every kiwi plant we send out is nursery-grown, carefully selected and dispatched in healthy, well-rooted condition, ready to establish and climb.

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.

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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.

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How to care for Golden Kiwi

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.
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About Golden Kiwi

Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi) needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Screening & Privacy Walls & Fences Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H4): down to around −10°C. Hardy through an average UK winter.

Hardy to around -10 to -15C (RHS H4) once established, so it copes with most UK winters in a sheltered spot. The main risk is late spring frost damaging emerging shoots and flower buds, so a warm, protected wall and a winter mulch over the roots are worthwhile in colder gardens. Read moreShow less

Hardy to around -10 to -15C (RHS H4) once established, so it copes with most UK winters in a sheltered spot. The main risk is late spring frost damaging emerging shoots and flower buds, so a warm, protected wall and a winter mulch over the roots are worthwhile in colder gardens.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Plant in full sun against a south or west facing wall or sturdy fence. Maximum sunshine and warmth are essential for the wood to ripen and the fruit to develop and sweeten. Read moreShow less

Plant in full sun against a south or west facing wall or sturdy fence. Maximum sunshine and warmth are essential for the wood to ripen and the fruit to develop and sweeten.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Thrives in deep, fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil enriched with plenty of organic matter. It tolerates a wide pH range from acid to mildly alkaline; avoid waterlogged ground and very thin chalk. Read moreShow less

Thrives in deep, fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil enriched with plenty of organic matter. It tolerates a wide pH range from acid to mildly alkaline; avoid waterlogged ground and very thin chalk.

Watering

Keep well watered through the first two or three growing seasons while the deep root system establishes, never letting the soil dry out in summer. Mulch annually in spring to lock in moisture and feed the vigorous growth, then water generously in dry spells once fruiting. Read moreShow less

Keep well watered through the first two or three growing seasons while the deep root system establishes, never letting the soil dry out in summer. Mulch annually in spring to lock in moisture and feed the vigorous growth, then water generously in dry spells once fruiting.

Mature size

Height5-8 m
Spread3-5 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

May-Jun · White

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Scent

Lightly fragrant flowers

Pruning

Prune in winter to build a framework and thin tangled growth, then again in summer, shortening fruiting sideshoots to a few leaves beyond the fruit.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity; fruit is edible. Some people may experience oral irritation or allergy to kiwi fruit (contains the enzyme actinidin).

Native range

China

Family

Actinidiaceae

Also known as

Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)

Genus

Actinidia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the kiwi vine hardy in the UK?

Yes, Actinidia deliciosa is hardy across most of the UK (RHS H4), tolerating roughly -10 to -15C once established. The main vulnerability is late spring frost on the soft new growth, so a sheltered, sunny wall and a protective root mulch give the best results in colder areas.

Do I need two plants to get fruit?

Usually yes. Most kiwi vines are either male or female, so you need a male plant nearby to pollinate the fruiting female. If space is tight, choose a self-fertile variety which sets fruit on its own, or grow one male to several females.

How big does a kiwi plant get?

It is a very vigorous climber that can reach 5-8 m or more with a spread of 3-5 m, so give it a strong support such as a wall, pergola or robust trellis and prune it each year to keep it in bounds.

Is it evergreen or deciduous?

Actinidia deliciosa is deciduous. It drops its large, heart-shaped leaves in autumn and produces fresh growth in spring, with cream-white flowers following in early summer.

Where is the best place to plant a kiwi?

Plant against a warm, sunny, south or west facing wall in deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Maximum sun and shelter help ripen the wood and ensure the fruit develops and sweetens before autumn.

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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)
£19.29 £19.99