Choosing a climber 

Choosing a climber for a warm, sunny wall is a delicious problem. There are so many whose flowers produce scent and attract bees and butterflies; there are those that are evergreen and those that flower in winter; and then, in warmer counties, there is always the calculated risk of something tender and exotic.

But a climber that produces leaves as chocolate-box pretty as pink-and-white roses is unique. And that climber is Actinidia kolomikta.  The twining shoots of this vigorous vine are especially happy entangling themselves up and into a large sunny tree. After a few years, as the plant matures, the leaves will become chalk white and blush to deep pink, just as if they have been dipped in tins of emulsion. The effect is spectacular. In early summer it produces small, light-yellow flowers that fill the garden with a warm scent.

Actinidia kolomikta is a plant that is either male or female – dioecious. And it is the ostentatious males that have flashier colouring. The cultivar, Actinidia kolomikta ‘Arctic Beauty’ is tough enough to grow well in colder parts of the country, and is a large-leaved, flamboyantly handsome male. Female plants, however, should not be overlooked: in masculine company they will sometimes produce tiny kiwi-fruits the size of grapes.

Less well known is A. pilosula. It is somewhat smaller, climbing to 4-5 metres (about 15 feet). The leaves are darker, narrower and more pointed that A. kolomikta, with less pink. They resemble artist’s brushes dipped in chalk-white paint. Dusky-pink, bell-shaped flowers push out from behind the leaves in May and June and perfume the garden.

Actinidia deliciosa, (A. chinensis) is the species that produces the typical kiwi-fruit that you buy in the supermarket. This, too, is dioecious, so in order to produce the fruits it is necessary to grow both male and female plants. They are both pretty vigorous, and each has the potential to cover eight metres (over 25ft) in all directions. But if you have the space for two beautiful triffids, they will earn their keep not just with fruit, but with hairy crimson shoots and large felted leaves that turn reddish brown in autumn.

To produce fruit, the female plant would need the warmth of a sunny wall. The flowers appear continuously all summer, followed by the fruits in early autumn, either on the two-year-old wood or, in older specimens, on spurs like apples and pears. So the plant needs enough room to expand and produce mature wood. Pruning is tricky. Cutting it back can result in removing the fruiting stems. But if it becomes essential to prune the vine, it is best carried out while the plant is dormant in winter.

All Actinidia prefer a fertile but draining soil with a neutral pH. They are perfectly happy growing in light shade, but full sun is a must for the production of kiwi fruit. And the leaves colour better in full light. Actinidia are fully hardy to about -15ºC, but in mild winters, when the new growth starts to emerge early, a late spring frost can seriously damage the plant. Throw a large sheet of horticultural fleece over it for protection on a vulnerable wall. Grown through a host tree, Actinidia will be sheltered by the outer growth of the branches. All the species have been found to be resistant to honey fungus.

Seed sown in November and kept outdoors in a cold frame should germinate the following spring if the seed-trays are brought into a warm greenhouse kept at 10ºC. Seedlings are very susceptible to “damping off”, so spray them with a fungicide when they start to emerge. Pot them up in spring and pot them on every subsequent spring until they are large enough to plant out. Usually there is a preponderance of male plants. But think how delicious that first kiwi fruit will taste from your home-raised female Actinidia kolomikta.