Acca sellowiana – Feijoa

Description

Acca sellowiana – Feijoa / Pineapple Guava

Family: Myrtaceae
Packet Size: 20+ seeds

Description

Acca sellowiana, also known as Feijoa or Pineapple Guava, is a South American evergreen shrub or small tree with attractive grey-green leaves, ornamental flowers and fragrant green fruit. Its white petals and prominent red stamens give the flowers a striking tropical appearance.

Feijoas can be used as a feature shrub, informal screen or edible planting in appropriate temperate to mild subtropical gardens. Ripe fruits have aromatic flesh often enjoyed fresh or used in preserves.

Key Features

• Flowers: Showy white flowers with vivid red stamens.
• Fruit: Aromatic, green-skinned pineapple guava fruit when growing and pollination conditions suit.
• Habit: Evergreen, dense, compact shrub or small tree that responds to pruning.

Growing Conditions

• Light: Full sun for best flowering and fruiting; some light shade tolerated.
• Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil with moisture during establishment.
• Climate: Usually performs best in mild temperate or cooler subtropical conditions.
• Care: Mulch roots, water in dry spells and prune lightly after harvest to shape.

Propagation from Seed

1. Sow: Place seeds shallowly, around 3–5 mm deep, in a free-draining propagation mix.
2. Germinate: Keep gently moist and warm in bright filtered light; emergence can take several weeks.
3. Grow on: Transplant seedlings carefully and harden off before planting into a sunny garden position.

Seed-Grown Variation

Seed-grown feijoa trees naturally vary in fruit quality and may take several years to fruit; named fruit cultivars are generally propagated vegetatively to retain their characteristics.

Germination advice: These instructions are a recommended guide. Germination results and timing may vary depending on seed freshness, storage, temperature and growing conditions. Alternative propagation methods may also be successful.