I first saw this beauty on a garden tour back in the 80's, my daughter and I were standing admiring a large swath of candelabra primulas in the front of an old Victorian house, I said to my daughter I don't think we're going to see anything to beat this, wrong... we turned a corner and there it was in all it's glory, it covered the back wall of this two story house. I was gob smacked, wouldn't be surprised if my jaw hit the ground. I tried to find the owner, find out what it was but to no avail.
On the way home up island we stopped in at a one of the nurseries and I hunted up the owner who I knew to be very knowledgeable. After I explained what it looked like he told me what it was, he didn't have any but could order one in for me, at that time I didn't know the female of this variety bore edible fruit. It was years later when I read the female of this ornamental actually bore edible fruit....back to that nursery as these Actinidias weren't readily available like they are now. No they didn't have it but could order one in for me. It took quite a few years before it actually bore fruit and the first few years the birds beat us to them but now seem to be leaving them alone. . Occasionally you will see a bit of color on a few leaves but more often not. It was pretty new back in the 80's, now I think they have named varieties like 'Arctic Beauty' smaller leaves but hardy to zone 3.
The leaves start out green and white, then the white portion starts turning pink, late summer the pink turns a rusty color before they drop.
@thistlebloom yes my vine, I have it on the fence side of my little driveway courtyard intertwined with English ivy it has been hacked back many times over the years but always puts on a good show.
An earlier picture showing more white on the leaves.
It along with the English ivy give this old wooden fence the illusion of a walled garden. The fruit bearing female is on the same fence just the other side of my old salvaged garden gate.
This gate divides the courtyard from my garden in back, put in when we had our doberman to keep her out of the back garden and before I started planting things in the courtyard, she liked to rip things out
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It was after we were broke into while we were home that we put up the 6 foot wooden stockade fence around the sides and back of our house (lots of places for vines) when that was finished we got our dobie Kayla, she was a great big goofy treasure but she could take care of business if needed.
Annette
