Different types of kiwi fruit surprise many people because most only know the common fuzzy green kiwi from stores. If you are writing about fruits, gardening, or food guides, missing the real varieties can make your content incomplete.
Understanding kiwi types helps readers identify flavors, colors, and uses around the world.
Different Types of Kiwi Fruit List
Here are widely recognized kiwi fruit varieties grown across the world.
- Hayward
- Abbott
- Allison
- Bruno
- Monty
- Blake
- Green Light
- Gracie
- Elmwood
- Jones
- Hort16A (Zespri Gold)
- SunGold (Zesy002)
- Jin Tao
- Soreli
- Dori
- Gold3
- Charm
- Hongyang
- Donghong
- Red Princess
- EnzaRed
- RubyRed
- Issai
- Ananasnaya
- Ken’s Red
- Geneva
- Dumbarton Oaks
- Cordifolia
Types of Green Kiwi Fruit
- Hayward
The most popular commercial kiwi variety worldwide. It has brown fuzzy skin, bright green flesh, balanced sweetness, and excellent storage ability. - Abbott
Early-ripening green kiwi known for medium-sized fruits, juicy flesh, and mild sweet flavor commonly grown in New Zealand and some Asian orchards. - Allison
Productive kiwi cultivar producing oval fruits with smooth green interior, refreshing taste, and good adaptability to different growing climates. - Bruno
Large elongated fruits with dark green flesh and strong kiwi flavor. Bruno vines are vigorous and widely cultivated in commercial orchards. - Monty
A reliable kiwi plant producing medium fruits with pleasant sweetness and slightly tangy taste. Often used in mixed kiwi orchards. - Blake
Green kiwi cultivar valued for smooth texture, mild sweetness, and consistent fruit production in temperate growing regions. - Green Light Kiwi
Modern green kiwi selection known for improved yield, smooth flavor balance, and strong plant vigor. - Gracie
High-quality kiwi variety producing uniform fruits with attractive green color and refreshing tropical flavor. - Elmwood
Hardy kiwi cultivar appreciated for dependable harvest and pleasant sweet-tart taste. - Jones
Traditional kiwi selection producing medium-sized fruits with aromatic green flesh and balanced acidity.
Golden Kiwi Varieties
- • Hort16A (Zespri Gold)
A famous golden kiwi with smooth bronze skin and bright yellow flesh. Known for tropical sweetness and low acidity before being replaced commercially. - • SunGold (Zesy002)
One of the most popular modern kiwi fruits. It has smooth skin, vibrant golden flesh, and a very sweet mango-like flavor. - • Jin Tao
Chinese golden kiwi variety producing large fruits with aromatic yellow flesh and excellent sugar levels. - • Soreli
Italian golden kiwi cultivar valued for early ripening, smooth skin, and balanced sweetness suitable for commercial production. - Dori Kiwi
Premium yellow kiwi known for attractive color, uniform fruits, and rich tropical taste. - Gold3 Kiwi
Improved golden kiwi type developed for disease resistance, productivity, and sweet flavor. - Charm Kiwi
Newer golden kiwi variety producing bright yellow flesh and pleasant fragrance with good market appeal.
Red Kiwi Varieties
- Hongyang
One of the first commercially grown red-center kiwi fruits. It has green flesh with a striking red ring and sweet berry-like flavor. - Donghong
Improved red kiwi cultivar with deeper red coloration, smooth texture, and strong sweetness. - Red Princess
Decorative kiwi fruit featuring vibrant red center and soft tropical taste popular in specialty fruit markets. - EnzaRed
Premium red kiwi variety developed for high sugar content and visually striking red star pattern inside. - RubyRed
Rare kiwi cultivar producing ruby-colored flesh with rich sweetness and attractive appearance.
Kiwi Berry Varieties
- Issai
Self-fertile kiwi berry producing small smooth fruits without fuzzy skin. Sweet flavor and excellent for home gardens. - Ananasnaya
Hardy kiwi variety also called “Anna”. It produces grape-sized fruits with pineapple-like sweetness. - Ken’s Red
Attractive kiwi berry with reddish skin and sweet aromatic flavor grown in cooler climates. - Geneva
Early ripening hardy kiwi producing smooth edible skin fruits with refreshing sweet taste. - Dumbarton Oaks
Cold-hardy kiwi berry cultivar valued for strong vines and flavorful small fruits. - Cordifolia
Wild-type kiwi berry species producing small smooth fruits often used in breeding and specialty cultivation.
How Many Kiwi Fruit Varieties Are There?
Botanically, there are 60+ kiwi species and many cultivars belonging to the Actinidia genus. However, about 20–30 varieties are commercially grown or commonly documented, mainly divided into green kiwi, golden kiwi, red kiwi, and hardy kiwi berries. Countries like China, New Zealand, and Italy lead kiwi breeding and production.
FAQs about Kiwi Fruit Types
The main kiwi categories are green kiwi, golden kiwi, red kiwi, and kiwi berries. Green kiwi like Hayward is most common, while golden and red varieties are sweeter and newer in markets.
Golden kiwi varieties such as SunGold are considered the sweetest because they contain higher natural sugar and lower acidity compared to traditional green kiwi.
China has the largest diversity of kiwi species because kiwi originated there and many breeding programs continue developing new cultivars.
Kiwi berries are related but smaller fruits from hardy kiwi species. They have smooth edible skin and taste similar to kiwi but sweeter.
Hayward green kiwi remains the most widely sold kiwi fruit globally due to its storage life, flavor balance, and strong commercial production.
The 10 common types of kiwi fruit include Hayward, Abbott, Saanichton, Jumbo, Hardy, Arctic, Bruno, Monty, Golden Kiwi, and Baby Kiwi. These varieties differ in size, taste, and skin texture, with some being green, others golden, and a few small and sweet, ideal for fresh eating or desserts.
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