Herb latin name: Actinidia hemsleyana


Synonyms: Actinidia kengiana, Actinidia subglaucifolia


Family: Actinidiaceae (Chinese Gooseberry Family)



Edible parts of Actinidia hemsleyana:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is up to 2.7cm x 1.5cm. It contains 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)

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets on mountain slopes, 500 - 900 metres in Fukien and S. Chekiang.

Propagation of Actinidia hemsleyana:

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 the herb:

Thickets on mountain slopes, 500 - 900 metres in Fukien and S. Chekiang.

Medicinal use of Actinidia hemsleyana:

None known

Known hazards of Actinidia hemsleyana:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.