Feijoa: a subtropical shrub for home landscapes
Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana O. Berg.) or pineapple guava is an evergreen subtropical shrub or small tree that produces an aromatic edible fruit with a somewhat pineapple flavored pulp.
Originating in Southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and parts of Argentina, it has been grown in California for decades as an ornamental shrub. Prominent French horticulturist M. Edourd Andre brought the feijoa to southern France from South America in 1890. Hearing of this new attraction on the Riviera, Dr. F. Franceschi imported seedlings of the Andre selection to Santa Barbara in 1901. These early seedings were the parents of most of the older varieties grown in Southern California. Since these early days, separate importations of seeds and plants from South America have led to the selection of additional varieties.
A member of the myrtle family, feijoa leaves are oval, about 3 inches long, glossy-green above, and silvery-white beneath. Blossoms usually appear in late spring (they are in bloom right now locally). The showy blossoms have four fleshy white petals tinged reddish-purple on the inside. A bright tuft of crimson stamens stands upright in the center of the blossom.
The fleshy white petals are edible, have a sweet flavor, and can be added for interest to a salad. Feijoa makes an attractive ornamental shrub in home plantings and has few problems in our environment. The fact that its flower petals and any fruits that set are edible is a bonus adding to its value in the landscape.
Some selections are selfsterile, so they require cross-pollination with another variety to set fruit. But many feijoas available as landscape plants may have “Coolidge” background.
Selected by the University of California in the 1920s, Coolidge is a selffertile variety that will usually set fruit with its own pollen. Feijoa fruits are generally oval and vary from one and one-half to four inches long. Grayish-green in color, and sometimes having a reddish cheek, the fruit's surface is usually smooth. Beneath the skin there is a thin layer of granular flesh (from one-eight to onequarter-inch thick) which surrounds a mass of soft, delicate pulp in which small edible seeds are embedded.
In its native climate in South America, temperature and rainfall are very similar to large portions of California. Feijoa is hardier than many other subtropicals, having successfully withstood temperatures as low as 10 degrees. It will grow from southern Oregon to the Coachella Valley but is unlikely to fruit in extreme climates. Plants grow well in the interior valley, but fruit has been reported to be more flavorful in cooler coastal areas.
Like nearly all plants, feijoa will grow and develop best in loamy soils with adequate irrigation. Under more marginal conditions, growth and fruiting will naturally be more limited.
Some fruit may begin to set in the third or fourth year after planting. Fruit ripening normally occurs from October through December. In most years, there is a good chance that fruit left in the field after Thanksgiving will suffer frost damage. Rainfall may also hinder fruit quality.
Feijoa fruits mature over a long period of time and at different rates. Determining when a fruit should be picked is difficult even with experience. Color is the best guide, especially when coupled with “touch picking” — that is, touching each fruit and harvesting only those that readily detach. At least six and possibly eight or nine pickings will be necessary over time to harvest fruit at optimum maturity. This requires attention to detail but provides a light fruit supply over a two- to three-month period. Picking up fruits that have naturally dropped to the ground isn't a satisfactory harvesting method because internal fruit damage occurs and this damage will appear later as brown soft spots on the fruit's interior.
The fruit itself is very rich and aromatic. It may be eaten fresh, spooned out of a halved fruit, or peeled and served with sugar and cream. Processed, it makes excellent jelly and jam. It has also been used pie filling. The feijoa is a fruit that is little known to the consuming public but may occasionally be found in limited supply in commercial markets. Its unusual green color makes it more difficult to catch a consumer's eye in the marketplace.
Although it has been grown in California for over 120 years and has gone through three rounds of commercial plantings during that time, it has never proved to be a significant commercial success. The feijoa will most likely find its greatest usefulness as an attractive and showy ornamental in home landscape plantings.
The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr. edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.