Guava Acca sellowiana

Pineapple guava is a South American native which does indeed produce the luscious Guava fruit but is also an exotically handsome shrub whose dramatic flowers could be the subject of a Georgia O'Keefe painting.

Guava is an evergreen shrub that will reach 10 to 15 ft. in height with an equal spread in tropical areas but is more often seen in warm temperate zones (like coastal North Carolina) at 5-6 feet with an equal spread.  The shrub's habit is relatively dense in colder areas where late frosts and severe cold nip branch tips in the bud, but it can grow to be open and spreading in warmer areas where nature relies on horticulturists to do the pruning. Guava is a handsome evergreen shrub with a unique character that would warrant a place in many gardens even if it never flowered, but the blooms of this plant are such treasures that they steal the show from the plant's other attributes.

This shrub is moderately salt-tolerant and is particularly handsome in coastal type landscapes with its silvery leaves and colorful flowers. Guava is only reliably cold hardy on the coast and in eastern Piedmont but it can be grown in sheltered locations throughout the lower elevations of the southeast. It makes a dramatic large container specimen on a patio or near a walk and can be pruned to control its spread following flowering. Landscape plants have been known to survive and re-emerge after being killed to the ground.

There are several cultivars of Acca sellowiana which have been selected primarily for fruit production. 'Coolidge', 'Nazemata' and 'Pineapple Gem' are all good self-pollinating selections, while 'Superba' is a round-fruited form that needs to be planted with another cultivar for good fruit set, and 'Variegata' has white variegated foliage. Propagation of Guava is most reliable from seed which has been separated from the ripe fruit, but cuttings taken in summer are rooted for the propagation of named cultivars.

Acca sellowiana is an amazingly dramatic shrub in bloom that carries unique character into the garden through twelve months of the year with its silvered, evergreen foliage. This spectacular landscape plant is the parent of a familiar tropical fruit, the Guava - a unique landscape ornamental and tropical fruit that deserves much wider use in southeastern gardens. 

It prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade.  Consistent soil moisture is important to produce quality fruits.  Water deeply and regularly and provide mulch to add nutrients and protect the shallow roots. It also prefers moist, well-drained soil but will tolerate a range of less than ideal soils, from sand to heavy clay.  In full sun it flowers and fruits most heavily but will perform well in partial shade (albeit with somewhat reduced flowering and fruit set).   

The edible flowers taste like marshmellows and can be eaten like candy. Pair them with berries, or other fruit.  Eat them on salads or use them to decorate cakes.