Scientific name: feijoa sellowiana
Synonym: Acca sellowiana
Popular Names: Feijoa, Serra guava, Serrana guava, Pineapple guava, Pineapple guava, Wild guava, Wild guava, Creole guava, Rio Grande Araçá, Guarobí
Family: Myrtaceae
Category: Shrubs, Tropical Shrubs, Fruit Trees, Fruits and Vegetables
Climate: Mediterranean, Oceanic, Subtropical, Temperate, Tropical
Origin: South America, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
Height: 2 to 5 m
Luminosity: Partial Shade, Full Sun
Life cycle: perennial

The feijoa is a fruiting, evergreen shrub or tree native to the highland regions of southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It belongs to the same family as other native plants, such as pitanga, jabuticaba and guava.










It is known for its fragrant and tasty fruits, and is widely consumed in Europe, the United States and Oceania, mainly in New Zealand, its main producer and consumer market.
In Brazil it is still little known and rare. This is attributed to the fact that it is a plant that has not yet been domesticated and its fruits are quite perishable after harvesting, not resisting more than two weeks.

It has a branched trunk, with gray bark, and reaches 2 to 5 meters in height. The canopy is dense, with opposite, elliptical and leathery leaves, with short petioles.

The upper side of the leaves is green, while the underside is pale, silvery.
 
It blooms in summer, sprouting beautiful flowers with fleshy petals and long red stamens, in tufts. The flowers can appear solitary or in clusters.
The fruits ripen in autumn and are ellipsoid, juicy, with a gelatinous pulp, translucent and shiny in the center and granular, white and opaque near the skin.
The rind is green, regardless of whether the fruit is ripe or not. Ripe fruits fall to the ground. To know the right point of harvest, you should go through it daily, checking that the fruit is slightly softer and easily detaches from the branch.
 
The flesh is sweet and acidic, with an enchanting scent. It is said to resemble guava, pineapple and strawberry in flavor. Each fruit contains 40 to 100 hard white seeds, similar to guava seeds.
Both flowers and fruits are eagerly eaten by wild birds. Pollination is by bees and birds. Despite being self-pollinated and capable of producing fruits alone, feijoa productivity is considerably increased if other individuals are available nearby for cross-pollination.
Feijoa flower petals are sweet and edible too., being used in salads and to adorn dishes.
The fruit is consumed cooked or more often in natura, simply cut in half and eaten with a spoon, as a delicious dessert.
With it you can prepare juices, smoothies, mousses, jellies, compotes, ice creams, liqueurs, and an infinity of culinary preparations.
Ripe fruits keep in the refrigerator, but for a short time, and their pulp can be frozen.
Research in several countries points to feijoa as a “superfruit”, a food with important properties, due to the content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant substances.

Feijoa stands out in landscaping mainly for its beautiful and delicate flowers. It can be used alone, in groups and even in rows, forming good living fences.

It admits formation pruning, which leaves the canopy denser, although it harms fruit production. To stimulate fruit production, it is advisable to leave the canopy clean and airy. It is also ideal for growing in pots, adorning patios, balconies, among other paved outdoor spaces.

It should be cultivated in full sun or partial shade, in fertile, deep soil, enriched with organic matter and irrigated in the first year of implantation.

Once well established, feijoa tolerates short periods of drought, however, for greater fruit production, water should not be lacking during flowering and fruiting. It prefers a subtropical climate, with at least 50 hours of cold for satisfactory fruit production.
Frost tolerant, suffering only minor damage if unseasonal frost occurs.
Fear the strong wind. Transplant seedlings 40 cm or more on cloudy days. Production begins between 4 and 9 years after planting, depending on the origin of the seedlings, the cultivar chosen and adaptation to the environment, among other factors.