How to Grow and Care for Strawberry Guava Tree

In its native South America, the strawberry guava tree grows as a big shrub or small tree that flourishes in a warm environment. Choose strawberry guava plants over regular guava plants for many advantages, including more beautiful fruit and foliage, as well as a more flavorful tropical fruit that is more in season. Continue reading to find out more about strawberry guava care.

Strawberry is a favorite fruit for several individuals. Other folks are quite enthusiastic about guava. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a plant that combined the greatest characteristics of both fruit types into one juicy and delectable compact package? This isn’t some kind of wizardry or science fiction. For the uninitiated, it’s a genuine plant known as Psidium cattleianum, also known as strawberry guava. Cattley guava and Cherry guava are some of the other names for this fruit.

Whatever you choose to call it, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most unusual fruits to come out of South America, and it deserves to be celebrated. And what’s not to enjoy about that? Brazil’s national tree has a graceful form reminiscent of a Samba dancer, with a reddish-brown bark that is covered in complex patterns and a rich canopy of foliage that takes your breath away. And did we mention that the fruits are bursting at the seams with taste and are as sweet as can be?

Besides having a minimal care need, strawberry guava plants are very simple to cultivate, and their shallow roots enable them to be planted almost anywhere. The plant may be used as a border shrub, a landscape plant, or you can just cultivate it for the wonderful fruits it produces. The adorable white blossoms are the icing on the cake, and they provide a special touch.

What is Strawberry Guava Tree?

While native to the Americas, the strawberry guava (Psidium littoralei) is also known as cattley guava, purple guava, or Chinese guava, depending on where it is grown. Strawberry guavas typically reach heights of between 6 and 14 feet (2–4.5 meters), but they may reach much greater heights. As the name implies, this tree often produces red fruit, but it is also capable of producing yellow fruit.

The strawberry guava fruit has a fragrant, luscious pulp with seeds, and it looks and tastes similar to the regular guava fruit.The taste of this sort of guava, on the other hand, is reported to have a strawberry aroma to it and is believed to be less musky in flavor. It may be eaten raw or cooked, and it can also be used to produce puree, juice, jam, or jelly.

Varieties of Strawberry Guava

Despite the fact that you may consider the strawberry guava to be an all-purpose plant that can do it all, you aren’t required to stick to just one species. As a matter of fact, the tropical woods of South America are teeming with a variety of different species from which you may pick or combine to create a rich scene in your tropical garden.

There are many natural variants of this species, despite the fact that there are no documented cultivars of this exact species, including:

• Psidium guajava is a kind of guava that is also known as lemon guava and common guava. This shrub, which grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet and is endemic to the Caribbean and Central America, is a small tree. Although the fruits are equally as luscious as strawberry guava, they are not as hardy or as lush as that fruit.
• Feijoa, also known as Acca sellowiana, is a tropical fruit that is planted both as a decorative plant and for its tart and tasty fruits. It is also known as “pineapple guava” by the locals. Despite the fact that it grows to a height of 12 feet, the tree has a larger spread than the lemon guava. It also produces fruit at a faster rate than the other species in the genus. Hardy plants are those that can withstand frost and cold temperatures for an extended period of time.
• Psidium cattleianum, it’s known by several other names, including strawberry guava, and was named after horticulturalist William Cattley. It’s a popular plant in Hawaii, growing to heights of between 6 and 18 feet when completely mature. It is a favorite of many gardeners in the sunny southern sections of the nation, from Florida to Southern California, because of its white blooms, deep leaves, and sweet-flavored fruits, which are produced in abundance.

How to Grow a Strawberry Guava Tree (with Pictures)

Another benefit of the strawberry guava over the regular guava is that it is often simpler to care for. This tree is more hardy and can withstand more challenging circumstances than the regular guava tree. Despite the fact that it favors a warmer area, the strawberry guava can withstand temperatures as low as 22 degrees Fahrenheit without losing its fruit (-5 C.). It thrives in direct sunlight.

It is not necessary to take soil issues into account while cultivating a strawberry guava tree. It will endure poor soils that other fruit trees would not, particularly limestone soils, which are not ideal for other fruit trees. Having poor soil may necessitate the need for extra watering in order for your tree to produce fruit.

Red-fruiting strawberry guava trees are likewise drought hardy, whereas yellow-fruited strawberry guava trees are capable of withstanding brief periods of floodwater. These trees are typically free of pests and diseases, according to industry standards.

The fruit of strawberry guava bushes is delicious, but it is very sensitive. If you are cultivating this tree for the purpose of enjoying the fruits, be sure to utilize them as soon as they are mature. Alternatively, you may purée the fruit and store it in a jar or similar container. Fresh fruit will not survive more than two or three days in the refrigerator.

Strawberry guava has been known to cause problems in certain regions, such as Hawaii, where it is grown. It is usually a good idea to research a plant before planting it in your yard to ensure that it will not become invasive in your local location. This is something that your local extension office can assist you with.