Actinidia kolomikta
Kolomikta vine, Kolomikta actinidia
- Height × spread
- 5m × 4m
- Position
- Tolerates full sun, likes part shade, tolerates light shade
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Flowers
- Spring
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
An eye-catching climber, which when mature, this plant can produce unusual and fascinatingly variegated leaves. The quality of the colour is variable but in a good specimen it looks as if parts of the leaf have been painted pink, green and white and in some cases the white variegation is less pronounced. The plant enhances the effect by holding the leaves somewhat outwards. The young foliage is purple tinted and there are tiny white hairs on the stems. Actinidia kolomikta reaches a height of 3 to 4m (13ft) in cultivation but can achieve 6m (20ft) in the wild. The male plants are most generally offered and these have a slightly better colour. The French refer to it as 'herbe aux chats', since cats will sometimes react to it by nibbling the foliage and rubbing against it.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green, Pink, White
- Spring foliage
- Purple-tinted
- Variegated
- Yes
- Scent
- Yes, soft
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 5m
- Spread
- 4m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Spring
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Scented garden
- Sun or shade
- Tolerates full sun, likes part shade, tolerates light shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam (normal), Sandy soil
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Borders & containers
- Borders and containers
- Use for
- Wall cover, Sensory garden (tactile)
- Walls
- South, West facing
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water during dry periods
For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.
Summer
Summer · Planting
Trim the plant
Trim or tidy the plant if it is beginning to exceed its allotted space, or if it looks untidy after flowering.