Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Acca sellowiana syn. Feijoa sellowiana

Common Name: Pineapple guava

Type: Broadleaf evergreen

Height: 10 to 15 feet

Spread: 10 to 15 1feet

Pollination: Pineapple guava will not produce a good quantity of fruit unless you have more than one variety for cross-pollination. Some varieties are self-fertile, but they produce more fruit if there’s a pollinator close by.

Fruit Health Benefits: This tropical contains significant levels of vitamin C (more than 50% of your daily recommendation per serving), as well as a diverse selection of B vitamins and trace amounts of vitamin E, K, and A. In terms of mineral content, pineapple guava contains moderate levels of copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, and calcium. A single serving of this fruit also delivers more than 15% of your daily recommended dietary fiber, in addition to various phytochemicals, phenols, and antioxidants.

Wildlife Benefits: Birds

Origin of species: Native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina and Columbia

Cultivars: In humid coastal climates, 'Improved Coolidge' (also called 'Edenvale Improved Coolidge'), 'Edenvale Late', 'Edenvale Supreme', 'Mammoth', and 'Moore' are good choices. 'Triumph' is commercially popular because it stores well, but the flesh tends to be grainier than most.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade.

Water: Low to Medium. This is considered a drought tolerant plant, meaning it survives with relatively little water, but needs adequate water for good fruit production. Give additional water. during dry spells.

Zone: 8 to 10

Years to bear fruit: 4 year.

Harvest Time: Fall

Care:

Plant: It’s adaptable to a wide range of soils, including acidic soil, but prefers a humus rich soil that is well drained.  Adding compost and not manure works for this plant.

Fertilizer/pH: 4.5 to 7. Fertilize the slow-growing shrub every two months during the growing season with a complete 8-8-8 fertilizer. During the first year, apply fertilizer once a month.

Mulch: Mulch soil around the shrubs to protect the shallow roots.

Groom/Prune: The guava requires little pruning to fruit happily, but you can shape the shrub to a single trunk to encourage taller growth. We grow ours as a shrub.

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. Black scale and fruit flies can be problematic in some areas.

Propagation:  Best propagated by cuttings or by grafting from known cultivars. Easily grown from seed, but cultivars often do not come true from seed.

Comments:

The skin of the pineapple guava fruit is edible, but many people prefer to cut the fruit in half, like an avocado, remove the seeds, and then scoop out the soft, sweet flesh with a spoon. However, simply slicing the fruit, without removing the skin, can deliver even more dietary fiber.