Yellow Strawberry Guava
Psidium cattleianum littorale

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

Psidium cattleianum littorale is an evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) 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.

Height (m): 6

Where it is found

Not known

S. America - Brazil.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and aromatic. An agreeable acid-sweet flavour. High in pectin, the fruits are good for mixing with high-acid, low-pectin fruits for making jellies etc. This species has a superior flavour to P. littorale longipes. The fruit is about 4cm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

Grown as a hedge in warm temperate climates.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Hedge: Hedge

How it is grown

Requires a well-drained sandy loam with leafmold. Not very hardy in Britain, it is best grown in a greenhouse but it can tolerate short-lived light frosts and therefore might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. Sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. If trying the plants outdoors, plant them out in the summer and give them some protection from winter cold for at least their first two winters. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

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

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 9-11

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

P. cattleianum lucidum. P. lucidum.