Can silvervine pollinate hardy kiwi

9 years ago

I just got a male silvervine(actinidia polygama) kiwi from my nursery. Will this variety pollinate anna and Michigan State hardy kiwi?

Featured Answer

glenn_10 zone 4b/5a NewBrunswick,Can.

8 years ago

Your silver vine will not pollinate your arguta kiwis as the polygama blooms several weeks before argutas. Even if you saved pollen and hand pollinated I believe chances of setting fruit would be marginal to nil but heck it would be worth a try. You could use male arguta pollen to pollinate kolomikta and polygama females If you were breeding hybrids but not so much the other way around. Same as fuzzy kiwi males can pollinate arguta females but not the other way around. It has something to do with smaller or shorter sperm of the smaller species which cannot reach where it needs to go in the larger species. I tried a few years ago to pollinate female argutas with kolomikta pollen with no luck. I plan on keeping a female kolomikta in the fridge and bring her out during arguta bloom period and see how that goes.

It will be a good experiment for you though,simply cut off a few silvervine branches and put them in some water in the coldest part of your fridge then pull them out when the time is right.

Good luck,Glenn

Comments (9)

jessica4b
8 years ago
I would also like to find the answer to that question!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Technically, yes. 'Issai', the so-called self-fertile variety of hardy kiwi, is actually an arguta- polygama hybrid. It is just a matter if bloom times coincide.
Related Professionals
Folsom Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sand Springs Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Allentown Landscape Contractors · Clark Landscape Contractors · Concord Landscape Contractors · Goodlettsville Landscape Contractors · Lynchburg Landscape Contractors · Manhattan Landscape Contractors · Melrose Park Landscape Contractors · West Chicago Landscape Contractors · West Orange Landscape Contractors · Markham Landscape Contractors · 07920 Landscape Contractors · North Aurora Landscape Contractors · Baileys Crossroads Landscape Contractors
jessica4b
8 years ago
I didn't know that about Issai, thank you gardengal. What would you think of this one ? http://www.pepiniereancestrale.com/nos-arbres/kiwi-rustique (4th picture, yellow kiwi) Since it is not a hybrid, would it still pollinate an arguta type? Also, I think silvervine refers to that yellow type of kiwis.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Although that website was in French (!), yes that is a silvervine, Actinidia polygama. And nothing changes about my previous post - if the two different species can cross to make a hybrid, then cross pollination is obviously possible. As long as the flowering times coincide.
jessica4b
8 years ago
Wow, thank you for that information. Very helpful!
Chrissy Russell
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Following on from this thread, I am in the UK and trying to grow actinidia polygama for cultivating silvervine for my cats (its SO hard to find this plant here). I have one A polygama and one A arguta. Please can anyone advise if I can use the A arguta to pollinate the A polygama?
socalnolympia
5 years ago
I don't know specifically about kiwis but usually closely related species of fruit can pollinate each other at least for the purpose of producing fruit.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
The above is true only if the bloom times coincide. If the two vines do not bloom at the same time, no pollination is going to take place.