• Red hardy kiwi berries showing their skin and flesh
  • Representative hardy kiwi growing or flowering in a garden
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Hardy Kiwi 'Ken’s Red'

Hardy Kiwi 'Ken’s Red'

Cultivar & Origin

Ken’s Red is a female hardy-kiwi selection developed by New Zealand breeder Ken Nobbs from hardy kiwi relatives. The smooth-skinned fruit develops red to purple colour as it matures, with sweet, aromatic flesh. It is propagated here by softwood cuttings. A compatible male hardy kiwi flowering at the same time supplies the pollen needed for fruit set.

 Plant highlights
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Why We Grow It

Ken’s Red comes from New Zealand breeder Ken Nobbs’ work crossing hardy kiwi relatives. Red to purple fruit adds another colour to the harvest, with smooth edible skins and sweet flesh. It turns trellis space into a food crop and pairs well with a male hardy kiwi for pollination.

How the Plant Grows

A vigorous twining vine that needs permanent support, annual pruning and room to spread. Keep fruiting growth within reach and train it away from young trees.

Plant Size

Size at Maturity- Vertical/Climber layer. Vines can grow up to 50–100 ft long when provided with ample support

Current Size-

Additional Info

The fruit colours most strongly as it matures. Ken’s Red belongs to the modern New Zealand breeding history of hardy kiwifruit, now grown in specialty orchards beyond its original region.

Ken’s Red

Hardy kiwi brings bite-sized, smooth-skinned fruit to a sturdy trellis, fence or arbour. You can eat the whole berry straight from the vine, with no peeling required. We love the way an established planting turns vertical space into both a fruit harvest and summer shade. Give it a permanent support and a place where you can reach the fruit and enjoy watching the canopy fill in.
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  • Red hardy kiwi berries showing their skin and flesh
  • Representative hardy kiwi growing or flowering in a garden

Plant Highlights

  • Water

    Moderate; requires consistent moisture during establishment and fruiting seasons but tolerates brief dry spells once mature.

  • Pollination

    Requires a compatible male Actinidia arguta with overlapping bloom; a female vine alone is not a dependable cropper.

  • Soil

    Thrives in well-drained loamy soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.0-7.0).

  • Years to Bear

    Begins producing fruit in 3-5 years after planting.

  • Hardiness

    Zone 4, tolerating temperatures as low as -35°C

  • Solar

    Prefers full sun for optimal production but can tolerate partial shade