“Three plants, about 2 years in the ground, blooming. Cultivars unspecified.”
Background
Acca sellowiana (syn. Feijoa sellowiana), native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. Not a true guava despite the name; named for its pineapple-strawberry flavored fruit. Long grown as an ornamental evergreen; named fruiting cultivars include Apollo, Coolidge, Mammoth, Nazemetz, and Trask. The UA arboretum notes it was first described in 1859 and introduced to France in 1890 and New Zealand in 1920.
Distinguishing traits
Evergreen shrub or small tree with silver-backed foliage; showy spring flowers with white petals and long red stamens (the petals are edible); gray-green oval fruit ripening in fall with sweet-tart-floral flavor. Some cultivars are self-fertile, others need cross-pollination, so multiple plants are wise. The UA arboretum describes pineapple guava as an evergreen shrub to small tree with silvery-white leaf undersides and showy late-spring flowers with bright red stamens.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- 50-200 hours for best flowering and fruiting; Queen Creek winters suffice.
- Cold hardiness
- USDA zones 8-11; hardy to about 12-15°F once established. The UA arboretum notes it tolerates frost but recommends protection in very cold winters.
- Heat tolerance
- Heat tolerant once established, but give afternoon shade and extra water above 90-100°F in the desert or fruit may drop and leaves brown.
- Water
- Regular deep watering for fruit; drought tolerant as an ornamental. Deep water every 1-2 weeks when fruiting in heat. The UA arboretum rates water use as moderate: drought tolerant, but best with consistent deep watering.
- Soil
- Well-drained, pH about 6.0-7.0; tolerates clay if drained. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer, which inhibits flowering.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun to part afternoon shade.
Where to buy
- Woodlanders