Kiwi's in Canada?

I am just wondering how hardy kiwi's truely are. I'm getting confused on the Canadian hardiness zones vs American, vs the Sunset Western garden guide.
I know they are hardy in coastal BC, although at least A. delisiosa (spelling?) tends not to ripen without babysitting due to the cool summers.
I'm thinking about inland, with cool/cold winters and long hot summers? Cold may be irregular snaps down to below -20'C. Not every year, but it happens.
Thanks


This message was edited Saturday, May 3rd 10:59 PM

Long time to get a reply; but I do have one or two friends who grow kiwi here in alberta. A variety developed at the Lacombe research station I think. Anyway they have overwintered them for a couple of years against buildings on a protected side so it should be a cinch in your zone with the right variety. I wouldn't count on making pavlova for the whole neighborhood though. The fruit were fairly small and not a lot of them.

Funny you posted this jagonjune...I had just seen this
one advertised:
Arctic Beauty Hardy Kiwi
-leaves are pink and white. It will grow 10 to 20
feet long. Zone 4-8

This message was edited Sep 13, 2003 5:31 PM

Jagonjune I'm really interested in which species of Kiwi this is. Thanks for replying.
Lilypon, that kiwi is A. kolomikta. I have a male and female. I can't find info on if they actually fruit. Mine are still very small. Great wall cover. The real arctic kiwi is A. arguta, and produces lots of grape-like fruits. Not fuzzy. I have a few, including one called Issai ? which is self fertile, very cool if you lack space.
Thanks.

Thanks for the proper name Dennis...the color of the vines
makes the plant very tempting, even if we don't get fruit.
Would love to replace some of the older varieties here
for something a little more exotic looking. Do aphids
and whiteflys go after these? I pulled down the Virginia
Creeper awhile ago...the drought has made it such a bug
magnet.

No idea on the bugs, mine are in pots. I haven't seen bugs on V creaper, so anything's possible.

Hey talk about a long time for a reply. The T&T catalogue came today and they have an arctic kiwi listed for spring shipping. Details should be on their site ttseeds.com