Issai Hardy Kiwi – Actinidia arguta 'Issai' – Self-Fertile Fruit Vine

Enjoy delicious, sweet, grape-sized kiwi fruit straight from your own garden! Issai Hardy Kiwi is a special variety of hardy kiwi with smooth, fuzzless skin, so you can enjoy the fruit without peeling it.

Unlike many other hardy kiwi varieties, Issai is self-fruiting, meaning you only need one plant to produce fruit. This makes it an excellent choice for home gardeners who want fresh, homegrown fruit without needing a separate male pollinator.

Plant Details

• Common Name: Issai Hardy Kiwi

• Botanical Name: Actinidia arguta 'Issai'

• Plant Type: Deciduous fruiting vine

• Fruit: Small, grape-sized kiwi

• Fruit Skin: Smooth and fuzzless

• Flavor: Sweet and delicious

• Pollination: Self-fruiting; one plant can produce fruit

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9

• Chill Requirement: Approximately 400 chill hours

• Sunlight: Full sun to approximately three-quarters-day sun

• Soil: Well-drained soil

• Preferred Soil pH: 5.5–7.0

Why Grow Issai Kiwi?

• Self-fruiting: One plant can produce fruit without a separate male pollinator.

• Sweet, edible fruit: Enjoy grape-sized kiwi with smooth, fuzzless skin.

• Productive variety: Can produce abundant harvests under favorable growing conditions.

• Earlier fruiting potential: May begin producing fruit the year after planting.

• Compact growth habit: Less vigorous than some other hardy kiwi varieties.

• Attractive foliage: Creates a beautiful green background or summertime privacy screen.

Fruit & Harvest

Issai produces small, grape-sized fruit with sweet flavor and smooth skin. The fruit can be eaten whole without peeling.

Typical harvest timing:

• Northern locations: Late September

• More southern locations: Late August

Harvest dates vary depending on local climate and growing conditions.

Growing Information

Issai Hardy Kiwi grows well in many well-drained soil types. It does not like consistently wet or waterlogged soil.

• Plant in full sun or a location receiving approximately three-quarters of a day of sunlight.

• Provide well-drained soil with a preferred pH of 5.5–7.0.

• Water regularly during establishment while avoiding soggy soil.

• Provide a sturdy trellis, arbor, fence, or other support.

• Allow sufficient room for the vine to spread.

Size & Support

Issai is less vigorous than some other hardy kiwi varieties but still needs sturdy support.

• Approximate Mature Height: 8–12 feet

• Approximate Mature Spread: 8–12 feet

• Growth Habit: Twining vine

• Pruning: Less pruning is generally needed because of its spur-type growth habit. If pruning is necessary, winter is the recommended time.

It can be grown in the ground or in a large container with adequate drainage and support.

Shipping Information

• Free shipping to most locations.

• Larger boxes and shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, APO addresses, U.S. territories, and remote areas may require an additional freight surcharge.

• Orders may be held when temperatures are above 89°F or below 20°F to help protect plants during transit.

• If you have a preferred shipping date, please enter it in the Special Instructions to Seller at checkout.

• Every plant is inspected before shipment.

Plant Arrival & Customer Support

Plants are living products, and some variation in appearance is natural. If your plant arrives damaged, please contact us promptly with photos of the package and plant so we can help resolve the issue.

Thank you for choosing our nursery!