Feijoa, Pineapple Guava
Acca sellowiana

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Red, White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Spreading or Horizontal, Upright or erect.

Acca sellowiana is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in July, and the seeds ripen from October to January. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 3

Where it is found

Tropical and sub-tropical highlands below 1,000 metres.

S. America - Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Brazil*, Britain, Central America, Chile, China, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, East Africa, Europe, France, Georgia, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, SE Asia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, Uruguay, USA,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked. A delicious aromatic taste, somewhat like a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry. The fruit is best eaten raw but it can also be made into pies, cakes, puddings, jams, jellies etc. Fruits can suffer damage from autumn frosts, though the flavour develops better at low temperatures. The fruit is up to 7.5cm long. Flowers - raw. The petals are sweet, crisp and delicious, they taste more like a fruit than many fruits. They should be harvested just after they begin to soften (not sure that I agree with this last sentence)

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

Although not very cold hardy in Britain, it resists maritime exposure and can be grown as a shelter hedge in mild maritime areas.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Hedge: Hedge

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Hedge, Massing, Screen, Standard, Seashore. Prefers a light loamy well-drained soil, requiring a warm sunny position. Prefers light shade. Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, even chalk. Dislikes extreme alkalinity. Tolerates drought and salt winds. A very ornamental plant, it is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. It grows very well on a west-facing wall at Kew where it often produces fruits, though these do not always ripen. A very good crop of fruit was produced on this plant after the cool summer of 1998, these were not quite ripe at the end of October, but they ripened in storage. Plants have also succeeded in Norfolk and in Scotland when grown against a sunny wall, though some extra protection might be required in very cold winters. Succeeds as a free-standing shrub in Cornwall. Tolerates temperatures down to between -12 and -15°c when the plant is fully dormant. Occasionally, and more frequently, being cultivated for its edible fruit in sub-tropical zones, there are some named varieties. 'Apollo' and 'Mammoth' are cultivars noted for their fruiting propensity. 'Smith' fruits well in the Pacific Northwest and so might be suitable for the mild areas of Britain. Fruits only ripen outdoors in Britain in hot summers. Plants rarely set fruit in Britain, perhaps they are self-sterile. Some cultivars are self-fertile whilst others require cross-pollination. Special Features:Not North American native, Attractive flowers or blooms.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Rinse the seed before sowing to ensure there is no fruit flesh remaining since this can inhibit germination. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 15°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Slow to root, but you eventually get a good percentage take.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Hedge; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Goiaba-do-campo, Goiaba serrana, Goiaba verde, Goiabo abacaxi, Goiabeira-serrana, Guayaba chilena, Guayabo chico, Guayabo grande, Jambu nanas,

Synonyms

Acca sellowiana. Orthostemon sellowianus.