Actinidia kolomikta Eve

The Actinidia kolomikta 'Eve', also known as the kolomikta 'Eve', is a female ornamental kolomikta. Like the species, it has ever-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 for a kolomikta , making it more suitable for small gardens. It is not very hardy and prefers to be grown in indirect sun, such as against an east or southeast-facing wall, in a damp, rich, well-drained soil, preferably non-calcareous. This female variety produces edible oblong green fruits. It is pollinated by the 'Adam' cultivar.

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 'Eve' cultivar is a female cultivar that requires pollination by Actinidia k. 'Adam' to bear fruit. Flowering occurs around mid-June and lasts for about twenty days. The flowers are small cups, 1.5 cm (1in) in diameter, formed by six white to pink petals, gathered in small clusters. They emit a pleasant fruity fragrance. When the fruits form, they are dark green with darker green stripes, 3 cm (1in) long and 1.5 cm (1in) wide, edible but not very aromatic. They ripen around mid-September.

The Actinidia Kolomikta 'Eve' appeals to gardeners for its spectacular colours, as well as to felines. Your cat - or the neighbour's cat - will come and sniff and nibble with delight on 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.