The Lazy Gardener’s Plant Pick: Feijoa (Pineapple Guava)
Posted on | October 5, 2009 | No Comments
Autumn’s in full swing here at the ranch which also means it’s harvest time. Around here that means seasonal crops and a number of fruit trees – apples, persimmons, pomegranates and others grown from Maine to California.
Feijoa - Pineapple Guava Fruit
It’s also harvest time for one prolific fruit tree that you don’t see very much outside of the USDA’s zones 9 and 10 even though it’s hardy down to zone 7 – the Pineapple Guava or Feijoa, (Feijoa sellowiana).
This tall shrub / small tree is native to the mountains of Brazil and Northern Venezuela, so it’s hardy down to 15°F / 10°C (lower if protected), which is considerably better than it’s tropical cousins. It also prefers cooler temps in the summer and some protection from the sun when it gets over 100°F / 38° C in high-summer.
Feijoa in bloom
An attractive soft-wooded plant with silvery green leaves, it’s natural form is a sort of tall, shaggy shrub, but it can also be pruned to a single trunk tree shape. It can be pruned any time of the year, but I’ve found that late autumn / early winter is best if you want a good bloom in the spring.
A handsome plant just for its foliage, in early spring the Feijoa produces an abundance of exotic red and white flowers that make a stunning display against the plants green leaves. The flowers are edible and a favorite snack of mockingbirds, jays and assorted other noisy, but fun to watch birds.
The dusty gray-green fruit grows in clusters of three, ripening into a football shaped fruit about the size of a golf ball late in September. All of the books I’ve read recommend picking the fruit from the tree before it drops, but I’ve found that dropped fruit to be a good indicator or ripeness. (The slightly tough skin prevents them from bruising like other fruits.)
Ripe Feijoa on the tree
Flavor-wise, the Feijoa has a pineapple flavor with a hint of spearmint (thus the moniker “pineapple guava”). The fruit can be eaten whole, but if you don’t like the bitterness of the skin you can simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the soft center. The seeds are small, soft and eaten along with the fruit.
As guava goes, I think the standard tropic guavas (lemon, strawberry, etc.) are better for juice as the fruits are larger and easier to squeeze. But when it comes to other uses such as jamming, cooking, or drying, the Feijoa is definitely superior.
A fresh Feijoa up close
My Feijoa is about 15 feet tall and lives in a shady area on the west side of the house where it thrives despite receiving only a modest amount of water. The plant is over 20 years old, never has pests and produces at least 60 pounds of fruit every year with little or no special care.
If you live in an area where it rarely drops below 10° F – 15° F in winter and you’d like a low care plant that’s low care, versatile, attractive and produces tasty, unusual fruit, I definitely recommend the Feijoa.
Feijoa Facts:
Latin Name: Feijoa sellowiana O. (also Acca sellowiana)
Common Names: Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Guavasteen
Hardy to: 15°F / 10°C (lower if protected)
Growth habit: Up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall and equally wide
Planting location: Plant and fruit are both susceptible to sunburn, so a site away from hot or reflected hot sun is recommended. The plant will tolerate modest shade and isn’t picky about soils other than it be well-drained. Regular watering helps fruit production, but the plants do just fine with only occasional watering as well.
Uses: The plant itself makes a great foundation plant that can be pruned as a tree, informal hedge or privacy barrier. Both the flowers and the fruit are edible.
More information on Feijoas:
» Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Guavasteen(via: California Reare Fruits Growers Association)
» Feijoa (via Wikipedia)
Where to buy:
» Logee’s Tropical Plants
» Pineapple Guavas on eBay
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