We discovered this unique variety in the collection at the Vladivostok Station of the Vavilov Institute. A somewhat more compact plant, Hot Pepper™ is an attractive vine for covering a fence, wall, or arbor. Bearing good crops of orange-yellow fruit, we named this variety Hot Pepper™ because of its unusual, sweet and spicy flavor, somewhat like a ripe, mild chili pepper.

Latin Name: Actinidia polygama

Class: Silver Vine

Size at Maturity: 12-15 ft. wide or tall.

Pollination: Silver Vine needs a male plant for pollination. One male can pollinate up to 8 female plants.

Pests & Diseases: Kiwis have no significant pest or disease problems in North America.

Hardiness: Silver Vine is hardy to at least minus 30° F.

Bearing Age: 2-3 years after planting.

Bloom Time: May

Ripening Time: September

Yield: 20-30 lbs.

Special Care: Spacing & Support: All species of Kiwis are vines that need support. Fuzzy Kiwis and Hardy Kiwis are particularly vigorous and require strong support to hold up the plants and the abundant fruit. Issai Hardy Kiwi, Silver Vine and Arctic Beauty Kiwi are less vigorous and can easily be grown on a fence or smaller arbor. Space Hardy Kiwis and Fuzzy Kiwis 12-15 ft. apart. Issai Hardy Kiwi, Silver Vine and Arctic Beauty Kiwi can be spaced 8 ft. apart or less, with attentive pruning to keep them from crowding. To grow one male and one female of either the Fuzzy or Hardy Kiwis, you should have at least 12 ft. of space available. The Male plant needs much less space than the female and can be pruned more severely. More information will be found in our Kiwi Growing Guide, included with each order. Also see our Kiwi Growing Publications in the Book Section.

USDA Zone: 3

Sunset Western Zone: Not listed

Sunset Northeast Zone: 31, 32, 34-43