Actinidia purpurea
Rehder
Purple Chinese gooseberry
gbif· cc0
President and Fellows of Harvard College
gbif· cc0
President and Fellows of Harvard College
gbif· cc0
President and Fellows of Harvard College
Summary
Hardy deciduous climbing vine reaching 10 meters, tolerant of UK zone 6 and not frost tender. Flowers appear in June with seed ripening in November. Dioecious species requiring both male and female specimens for seed development. Grows across light, medium, and heavy soils with mildly acid to mildly alkaline pH, thriving in semi-shade to full sun with preference for moist conditions.
Description
Hardy deciduous climbing vine reaching 10 meters, tolerant of UK zone 6 and not frost tender. Flowers appear in June with seed ripening in November. Dioecious species requiring both male and female specimens for seed development. Grows across light, medium, and heavy soils with mildly acid to mildly alkaline pH, thriving in semi-shade to full sun with preference for moist conditions.
Edible Uses
The sweet fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It grows up to 2.5cm long and contains numerous small seeds, which are soft enough to eat along with the flesh.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Distribution
It grows naturally in W. China in thickets, 1500 - 2100 metres. It suits hardiness zones 4-8
Where It Grows
Asia, China, USA,
Cultivation
Prefers a sound loamy neutral soil. Succeeds in semi-shade but full sun is best for fruit production. Prefers a sheltered position. Dormant plants are very hardy but young spring growth is susceptible to frost damage. Fruits are formed on second year wood and also on fruit spurs on older wood, any pruning is best carried out in the winter. This is a climbing plant, supporting itself by twining around branches etc. This species is possibly no more than a form of A. arguta, differing in its longer narrower leaves. It is treated as a synonym of A, arguta in the draft Flora of China. At least one named variety has been developed for its edible fruit. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Woody. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water.
Propagation
Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse. Best results come from 3 months of stratification — either sow in a cold frame as soon as the seed is ripe in November, or as soon as it is received. Fresh seed germinates in 2–3 months at 10°c; stored seed may take longer. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. When plants reach 30cm or more, plant out into permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Most seedlings will be male. Seedlings are prone to damping off and must be kept well ventilated. Take softwood cuttings in spring as soon as material is ready, half-ripe cuttings in July/August, or ripe wood cuttings in October/November — all in a frame. Half-ripe cuttings have a very high success rate.
Other Uses
None known.
Notes
There are 40-60 Actinidia species. The Actinidiaceae are a mainly tropical family.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Purple Chinese gooseberry
References (3)
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications. p 2
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- C. S. Sargent, Pl. wilson. 2:378. 1915
