Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Red Kiwi (Actinidia melanandra)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Red Kiwi, Red-fleshed Kiwi, Purple Kiwi.

More about red kiwi

About Red Kiwi

Actinidia melanandra · also called Red Kiwi, Red-fleshed Kiwi · edible

Red Kiwi is a wild species from central China bearing small, red-fleshed fruits with smooth, reddish-purple skin. Less commonly cultivated than Actinidia arguta, it is a hardy, vigorous vine suited to temperate gardens. Dioecious — both male and female plants are needed for fruit. Best in full sun with fertile, moist, well-drained soil.

Cold limit: USDA 5–9 · RHS H6 (-20 to 35 °C)

What red kiwi's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — red kiwi is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5–9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Red Kiwi is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for red kiwi as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can red kiwi go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5–9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when red kiwi can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Red Kiwi hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is red kiwi cold hardy?

Yes — red kiwi is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Red Kiwi is hardy across USDA 5–9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature red kiwi can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Red Kiwi is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is red kiwi?

Red Kiwi is rated USDA 5–9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can red kiwi survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5–9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to red kiwi below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.