Actinidia kolomikta Adam

Actinidia kolomikta 'Adam', also known as Kolomikta 'Adam', is a male ornamental kolomikta bush. Like the species, it has changing foliage, beautifully variegated with pink and cream on a green background in spring. In late spring, its discreet small white flowers perfume the garden. This deciduous bush with climbing stems is also interesting for its moderate growth, making it more suitable for small gardens. It is not very hardy and prefers to be grown in non-scorching sun, for example against an east or southeast-facing wall, in a damp, rich, well-drained, preferably non-calcareous soil. This male variety does not produce fruit, but it is used to pollinate the female variety 'Eve'.

Actinidia kolomikta belongs to the Actinidia family. It is native to an area ranging from China to Japan, Korea, and Russia, where it can be found in the Amur River region and on Sakhalin Island, for example. Its natural habitat consists of not too dense coniferous forests, where it can form thickets along riverbanks or in clearings. In the southern part of its range, it grows up to 1300-1400 m (4265-4593ft) altitude on rocky plateaus. In the north, however, this species does not climb above 150 m (492ft) altitude. This plant was introduced into cultivation in 1855. It can withstand brief freezes of around -7/-8°C (19.4/17.6°F).

It is a fast-growing woody plant, with climbing stems that quickly reach 5 to 6 m (16 to 20ft) in length. They need to be guided towards a support on which they will twine. The main asset of this kolomikta is its foliage: when the leaves emerge in spring, they are bronze, then green. Later, around May, before flowering, most of the leaves turn a bright white. After flowering, in June-July, they become pink, then crimson red. In autumn, before falling, they take on different shades of yellow, pink, or purple-violet. Like most Actinidia, this species is dioecious: there are separate male plants from female plants, which will bear fruit only in the presence of a male plant nearby. The 'Adam' cultivar is a male cultivar used, among others, to pollinate Actinidia k. 'Eve'. Flowering occurs around mid-June and lasts for about twenty days. The flowers are small cups about 1.5 cm (1in) in diameter, formed by six white to pink petals, gathered in small clusters. They emit a pleasant fruity fragrance.

Actinidia kolomikta 'Adam' is loved by gardeners for its spectacular colours, but also by felines. Your cat - or the neighbour's cat - will come to sniff and nibble with delight its young shoots in spring... Plant it against a wall that you have covered with a large trellis, on a small garden shed, or even on a fence. It can also be grown in a container, although its growth will be less vigorous. To accompany it, consider a small summer-flowering clematis such as Picotee or Little Mermaid, for example. In partial shade, it will create a lovely scene with shrub hydrangeas.