Hardy kiwi or Kiwifruit: how to tell them apart?
Hardy kiwi and Kiwifruit look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Hardy kiwi
Actinidia arguta
Kiwifruit
Actinidia deliciosa
The ordinary kiwi fruit has brown, fuzzy skin and a large fruit; the hardy kiwi has skin as smooth as a grape, a much smaller fruit, and is eaten whole without peeling.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, broad, ovate, glossy, borne on a vigorous climber
Large, heart-shaped, downy, deciduous
🌸 Flowers
Creamy white, fragrant, plant most often dioecious (separate male and female plants)
Creamy white; dioecious plant (separate male and female plants)
🍎 Fruits
Small smooth berry the size of a grape, with edible smooth skin, sweet green flesh identical to kiwi fruit
Oval berry with brown fuzzy skin, tangy green flesh dotted with small black seeds
🪵 Bark
Twining climber with reddish-brown bark
Vigorous climber, brown stem slightly downy when young
📏 Size
Climber 5 to 9 m
Climber that can reach 8 to 10 m on a support
🗺️ Habitat
Planted on pergolas or trellises, moist, free-draining soils
Grown on trellises or pergolas, mild and humid climate
⚠️ Toxicity
Fruit edible whole, skin included; no known toxicity
Fruit edible; no known toxicity to humans
🔎 And from the Kiwifruit side
The ordinary kiwi fruit has brown, fuzzy skin and a large fruit; the hardy kiwi has skin as smooth as a grape, a much smaller fruit, and is eaten whole without peeling.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.