Pineapple Guava – 5 Seeds

Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Colombia. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree and for its fruit. This evergreen fruit tree produces dramatic flowers in summer with bright red stamens, pink and white edible petals. The edible blooms are said to taste like minty guava and are popular in salads and as a drink flavoring. 

The fruit are often quite irregular in shape, varying from rounded to oval or pear-shaped. The skin is waxy, sometimes rough other times smooth, and blue-green to grey-green in color. As the fruit ripens it takes on a slightly yellow hue and becomes very aromatic.  It tastes like a mixture of banana, pineapple, guava, and kiwi.

This tree can reach a mature height of 6m when growing conditions are favorable. It has a slow growth habit and characterized with a very dense rounded crown consisting of egg shaped leaves that have silvery, slightly fuzzy undersides giving the entire plant a slight bluish color. Cooler winter temperatures, providing around 50-75 chill hours (time below 8°C), are necessary for the plant to set fruit effectively. They tree is sensitive to extremely high temperatures and excessive dryness in the air. In very hot conditions, the fruit may split, and the flavor can be reduced.

Growing Pineapple Guava

Indoor Sowing: Early Spring.

Direct Sowing: Mid Spring to Late Spring.

• It prefers rich, free-draining soil, but is tolerant of clay and both dry and wet soil.
• It can grow well in full sun and semi-shade conditions.
• This tree is also frost and drought resistant, once established, but reliable watering is preferred during fruit development.
• Plant the seeds indoors in the early spring. If you are starting the seeds outdoors, plant the seeds in mid to late spring when all threat of frost has passed.
• Place the seeds on top of the growing medium and cover with a thin layer of soil.
• Keep the soil moist until germination which can take 1 month or longer.
• Wait until the seedlings are strong and all threat of frost is gone, before transplanting outdoors.
• Seed grown plants take about 7 years before they produce fruit.
• Grows well in containers.