fruit

[t.hoskins]

where did kiwi fruit originate

[dragonfly]

Kiwifruit did not originate in New Zealand. It was originally grown in the Chang Kiang Valley of China, where it was considered a delicacy by the court of the great Khans. For many years, the kiwifruit was known as the Chinese Gooseberry. Kiwi was first noticed by Western civilization in 1847. Then, in 1906, the vine was introduced to New Zealand, where it flourished in the fertile soil. It is believed that kiwifruit was named for New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi, whose fuzzy brown exterior resembles the skin of the kiwifruit.

[Drewhound]

Just to add to that changing the name was simply a marketing exercise which proved very successful, this happened in the early 1960s. I've known several gardeners who grow the plant as an ornamental and never realised they were growing kiwifruit