Pineapple Guava
Latin Name: Feijoa sellowiana
Price range: $12.95 through $34.95
- Pot Size: 2 Inch, 4 Inch, 1 Gallon, 5 Gallon (Local Pickup Only)
- Hardiness Zone: Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10
Feijoa sellowiana is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a rounded, leafy crown. Its oval leaves are thick and leathery, dark green on top, with a coat of fine silver hairs beneath. Those hairs bounce back strong sun and slow water loss, and they make the plant shimmer in a breeze. In late spring, it opens odd, pretty flowers with white petals around a brush of red stamens. Older plants trained to one trunk show smooth, cinnamon bark that peels in thin flakes. Native to the cool highlands of South America, it keeps its soft, silver-green look all year.
Plant Details
Quick Information
- Latin Name: Feijoa sellowiana
- Plant Family: Myrtaceae
- Common Names: Pineapple Guava, Feijoa, Guavasteen
- Origin / Native Range: Highlands of southern Brazil, Uruguay, eastern Paraguay, and northern Argentina
- Mature Height × Width: 10–15 ft × 10–15 ft
- Exposure Requirements: Full Sun to Light Shade
- Irrigation Requirements: Low to Moderate
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8–10
- Cold Hardiness: 10°F–15°F
- Bloom Time: Late Spring through Early Summer
- Bloom Color: White with Red Stamens
General Information
Left alone, Feijoa sellowiana grows into a broad, many-stemmed shrub about as wide as it is tall. In a garden it usually reaches 10 to 15 feet, and it can climb higher in mild climates. The leaves are small and thick, about two inches long. Their downy undersides give the whole plant a soft silver-green cast. Gardeners often shape it to fit the space. It can be sheared into a dense hedge or thinned and limbed up into a small tree. Training it to a single trunk shows off one of its best traits, a smooth reddish-brown bark that flakes off in thin curls with age. By late summer the flowers turn into plump, egg-shaped green fruits with a waxy skin. These hang among the leaves until they soften and drop.
This shrub comes from cool, high grasslands and forest edges in southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. That mountain background shapes how it grows. It likes mild winters and moderate summers, much like Mediterranean and coastal gardens. Once its roots settle in, it handles dry spells well. Even so, it fruits far better with steady water. In hot, dry weather above about 90°F, it may drop fruit or brown at the leaf edges without extra water. Its flowers also tell an unusual story. The thick petals are sweet and can be eaten, and birds pollinate the plant as they feed on them. Bees work the same blooms. Many seedlings set little fruit alone, so a second plant, or a self-fertile named type, greatly improves the crop.
Despite the name, pineapple guava is only a distant cousin of the true tropical guava. Both belong to the myrtle family, but they are separate plants, and this one takes far more cold. Its fruit tastes of pineapple and guava with a hint of mint. Both the fruit and the sweet petals can be eaten fresh. The plant also has a tangled naming history. Botanists have shifted it between the genera Feijoa and Acca more than once. Feijoa sellowiana is the accepted name today, yet most nurseries still sell it as Acca sellowiana. Evergreen, edible, and easy to shape, it can serve as a fruiting hedge, a pollinator plant, or a small tree that stays silver-leaved all year.
General Planting & Cultivation Information
Even drought-tolerant plants require regular watering until they are well established, good drainage is essential. If planting in containers, avoid pots without drainage holes.
Irrigate by watering deeply and then allowing the top several inches of soil to dry between waterings. This encourages the plant to send roots deep into the earth in search of moisture, helping it to become established, prevent root rot, build drought tolerance, and resilience to wind, heat, and cold.
The length of time between waterings will vary depending on your growing conditions and environment. Use a moisture meter for precise irrigation.
When planting, set the plant at the same depth as it was in its current container. For trees, ensure the top of the root flare is at soil level.
Young plants are vulnerable to harsh conditions, so consider growing them in larger containers until mature.
When planting in the ground, research the optimal planting season for your climate zone and protect young plants from frost.
To support establishment, consider creating a microclimate with nurse plants, shade, or wind protection. This can reduce stress, conserve soil moisture, and increase long-term success.
Protect the small, immature plants from rabbits and deer.
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