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Feijoa Fact Sheet

  • Family: Myrtaceae
  • Genus: Acca
  • Commercially important species:
    • Feijoa sellowiana - pineapple guava
  • Related species: Psidium guajava - guava , Eugenia cattelianum - strawberry guava

Pineapple Guava: Acca-sellowiana

  • Description: Small evergreen tree or large bush, 2-4 m high. Leaves: Glossy green above silver grey undersides. Flowers: Axillary, attractive with large tuft of red stamens. The petals are edible. Fruit: 25-60 grams, 1-3 inches long, round to oblate shape. Good source of vitamin C and niacin.
  • Origin: Cool subtropical and tropical highlands (less than 1000 m), of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. Drought and salt tolerant, but produces best fruit with 1,500 mm annual rainfall. Prefers well drained sandy loam with high humus content.
  • History of cultivation: Edouard Andre introduced the plant to Europe from South America in 1890

Cultivation in California

  • History: Introduced to California c. 1900. Does rather well in California, will survive temperatures as low as 15 F.
  • Yield: 4-10 metric tons per acre.
  • Cultivars: Triumph, Superba, Mammoth, Choiceana, Nasemetz, Trask, require cross pollination. Coolidge, Andre are self-fertile.
  • Rootstocks: From cuttings, or own roots.
  • Propagation: Grafting, air layering or by cuttings.
  • Spacing: 5-6 m between rows, 3-3.5 m down the rows, 2 m if in hedges
  • Irrigation: Flood, solid set sprinkler, microsprinkler
  • Training System: Single stem 3-4 main branches
  • Nutrition: 120g N, 80g P2O5, 100 g K2O per year or 10-4-10 as for citrus.
  • Harvesting: October-December in California. Fruit falls to ground when mature or may be picked when light green, avoid bruising. May be stored up to a month if held below 10 C.
  • Marketing: Feijoa Growers Association. Direct marketing.

Production Problems

  • Environmental: Fruit is easily bruised; post harvest care is essential.
  • Insect/Pest: Few if any in California.
  • Disease: No fungal disease identified as an economic problem.

References

  • Samson, J.A. 1986. Tropical Fruits 2nd Edition. Longman Scientific & Technical, Longman Group UK Limited pp. 270-275.
  • Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner Press Macmillan Publishing (Facsimile of 1920 ed. published by MacMillan) pp. 292-299.
  • Soule, James. 1986. Principles of Tropical Fruit Culture. HSC 632-633 Department of fruit Crops Institute of Food and Science, University of Florida pp. 143k.

Prepared by Max Dill, 1995