Herb latin name: Actinidia callosa


Family: Actinidiaceae (Chinese Gooseberry Family)



Edible parts of Actinidia callosa:

Fruit - raw or cooked. A very delicate flavour. An acid flavour. The fruit can be dried. Fruits are 18 - 25mm long. They contain a number of small seeds, but these are easily eaten with the fruit.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Climber

Height:
9 m
(30 feet)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Forests and shrubberies to 3000 metres in the Himalayas.

Other uses of Actinidia callosa:

The wood is porous.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. It is probably best if the seed is given 3 months stratification, either sow it in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in November or as soon as it is received. Fresh seed germinates in 2 - 3 months at 10°C, stored seed can take longer. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. When the plants are 30cm or more tall, plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Most seedlings are male. The seedlings are subject to damping off, they must be kept well ventilated. Cuttings of softwood as soon as ready in spring in a frame. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very high percentage. Cuttings of ripe wood, October/November in a frame.

Cultivation of Actinidia callosa:

Forests and shrubberies to 3000 metres in the Himalayas.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Actinidia callosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.