Pineapple guava's fuzzy fall fruit
When the pineapple guavas (Feijoa sellowiana) bloomed in my garden last spring, I posted about my distaste for the flowers. But now that fruits are forming, I find I’m rather fond of the fuzzy, silver-green pods with tall, elegant hats.
The fruit is edible, and while bitter if picked from the tree, it’s ripest the day it falls to the ground. I may have to make a daily check of the lower garden in order to beat the squirrels, if they happen to have a taste for pineapple guavas. Do I? I don’t know as I’ve never tasted one.
This may not be a particularly illustrative picture of a pineapple guava, based on photos I’ve seen of handsome specimens growing in sun, but it’s a fair image of how they look in my live-oak shaded lower garden, where the previous owners alternated pineapple guavas with pyracanthas along the length of the cedar-post fence. The pineapple guavas are thin and ragged. A drought-scorched aspidistra is its sad-sack companion.
Pineapple guava and pyracantha have their proper place in a garden. But this isn’t it. They both want more sun, and the pineapple guavas definitely want more water than they received last summer in this neglected area. I like the pyracantha’s berries, but it’s considered invasive in central Texas, and, besides, it has wicked thorns that stab you when you prune it.
Yes, I love my thorny agaves but not the pyracanthas. A gardener can be illogical that way if she wishes. And she can dislike a plant’s flowers but appreciate the fruit too.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
It sounds as thought some of these plants are for the chuck! I have a pyracantha too and I planted it long before I knew of its invasive nature. However I just can’t pull it out. It is espaliered against the wall and is beautiful in the winter with its massive clusters of berries. The cedar waxwings love to stop by in the spring. I do like your pineapple guava flower and fruit. Sounds so exotic.
I remember your beautiful pyracantha, Jenny, and I’ve seen others trained against walls that look lovely too. The ones I have are just in the wrong spot. Yes, I think they and maybe a few of the pineapple guavas are eventually “for the chuck.” —Pam
I like the looks of the fruit too. I planted one of these last spring, but I think it was in a place with too much sun- it didn’t survive.
They’re starting to sound kind of picky, although you are in a much drier climate than I am. —Pam
Love this post! Yes, it is indeed the gardener’s right to love some things about a plant and not others. But I’d give the pineapple guava one more year & see what happens. And some pruning this spring to make it fluff out. I’ve heard the fruit is yummy, though I’ve never had one.
Yes, I think I will give them another year, with some hard pruning, Linda. I am concentrating on other areas of the garden right now anyway. Might as well wait and see on the pineapple guavas. —Pam
But the thorniness is different! As is structure, function and wildlife value… I’m with you on pyracanthas. A cool shady-area red-berry substitute is possumhaw holly and it’s drought tolerant once established.
I thought pineapple guava was tropical. Fun to know it will grow here–not that I’m putting in my one-inch-of-clay-over-limestone.
It was such a treat to meet you and exchange plants, Pam!
Possumhaw is a wonderful native, berrying-tree substitute, Kathleen, except that I find it doesn’t berry as well when in full shade. It needs at least some sun, the more the better, for berry production. I think what I really want in the shady lower garden is a plant with shiny or light-colored leaves so it won’t disappear against the dark cedar-post fence. The pineapple guava does have a little of that quality with the silvery green undersides of its leaves. —Pam
I once tried to kill one by pruning off every single leaf and branch.. and dug around the roots..and it responded by growing thick and lush. It is now the “guava dog” or guava deer” in the Not-So-Secret Garden. They can be pruned into nice short trees. Another one was so gangly that I whacked the heck out of it last spring and its now full and lush and filled with entirely too much fruit. I don’t remember the squirrels eating them but maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. Last year’s drought did kill the one in the orchard. I think. It may come back to life when the rains return. Or not.
I love your story, Cheryl. I think I will “whack the heck” out of mine in a few months and see what happens. When you pruned yours in the spring, you didn’t sacrifice the flowers and hence the fruit for that year? —Pam
Lol! I missed the post about your dislike for the flower–very entertaining. I find them totally innocuous myself. In fact, I think it’s the only interesting thing about the plant.
I’ve only known one person to say anything good about the fruit. Everyone else I know who tried it loathed it. Good luck!
Interesting. Another commenter here says she made good jelly out of it. —Pam
(Also, it’s hard to imagine the plant would ripen a fruit very well if it’s so dissatisfied otherwise.)
My Pineapple Guava’s are fuller, but they haven’t produced fruit the two fall’s I have been in this house now.
Jake
Are you getting spring flowers, Jake? If not, maybe you’re pruning at the wrong time of year? —Pam
I’ve had pineapple guava growing under a very large pecan tree for 42 years and they do beautifully. Some years the blooms are hit by late frost, so no fruit. I have never eaten the fruit but the little four footed animals love it. They have only allowed me one year’s fruit to make jelly but it is absolutely heavenly. If the raccoons, possums and skunks leave you some fruit, try to make jelly. I like to use the plants for greenery in flower arrangements to utilize the color of the back of the leaves.
You make a good point about the back of the plant’s leaves, Sally. The silvery green color is lovely. Good to know about the jelly too. —Pam
This is another reason why I learn so much from other bloggers. I thought that a Pineapple Guava would be really pretty and exotic to grow! It’s good to hear about your experiences.
I have been editing my garden rather ruthlessly this year. I’m going through my list of plants that “just bug me” and taking action!
Cameron
I’m going to edit those pyracanthas ruthlessly this winter, Cameron. No mercy! But the pineapple guavas will get a stay of execution for another year. —Pam
I’ve got a pineapple guava that’s been making me crazy for several years now. I moved it from one spot to another because it wasn’t growing and I thought it needed more sun. It STILL isn’t growing. I’m about ready to just pull it out and buy another one! Danged sissy baby plant …
They do seem a little temperamental, don’t they? —Pam
My grandmother has made Pineapple Guava jam for years — it’s actually quite good. Labor intensive, but good.
Ahhh… pineapple guava…. haven’t had any for six years now that we’ve moved, but it was my favorite fruit, no doubt.
But you should actually have something like this —> http://www.maggiesgarden.com/Plant_Profiles/Plant_This/Pineapple_Guava/Pineapple_guava_fruit.jpg
instead of what’s in the picture there. If your fruit ripen and fall off that size, then the tree is probably somewhat sick. Ours were 1″ in diameter and 2″ long and were exceptionally good. Silver-y green skin (though brighter if you rub it in your hands) and soft greenish-white flesh. Unlike that of some other varieties, the flesh of pineapple guavas is jucy, jelly-like (instead of firm or mushy). See here —> http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/Images/Food_Guide/Guava.jpg
It’s the lemon guavas have a mashed potato texture to them though, and a ton of stone-hard seeds. Those can only be really eatten if you run them thru the blender and strain, but the pineapple ones are good right off the tree or in a fruit salad.
Anyway, nice to know you gave them another chance. Our tree looked to have been planted in the mid 70’s so it may’ve had a better root system and we had a water leak under the house for two years. The tree was actually pruned down so to have a single trunk and was about 10′ tall, so we ended up only eating only what we could reach and birds ate the rest, ha ha..
Good luck 🙂
P.S. This might be a nice little read —> http://www.maggiesgarden.com/Plant_Profiles/Plant_This/Pineapple_Guava/body_pineapple_guava.html