Pineapple Guava

Acca sellowiana

fruit

Pineapple Guava (also called Feijoa) is an evergreen South American shrub with silvery green foliage, spectacular red-and-white edible flowers in spring, and egg-sized fruit in autumn with sweet juicy flesh tasting like a cross of pineapple, apple, and mint. Cold-hardy to zone 8 (the hardiest tropical-flavored fruit), self-supporting as either a shrub or small tree (6 to 20 ft), and one of the most beautiful edible landscape plants.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Lavender — Mediterranean partner that attracts pollinators to the showy flowers
• Comfrey — Mineral-mining mulch returns potassium
• Yarrow — Attracts hummingbirds and beneficial wasps
• Rosemary — Shares drought-tolerant Mediterranean preferences

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Scale →

  Dormant oil spray in late winter; encourage parasitic wasps

• Birds →

  Pineapple Guava drops ripe fruit; net the area or pick fruit from the ground before birds find it

• Black scale →

  Apply horticultural oil at first sign; pineapple guava resists most disease and pest pressure

• Root rot →

  Plant in well-drained soil; avoid heavy irrigation

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pineapple Guava is ready in autumn. Unlike most fruit, you do not pick it; you let it drop. Spread a tarp under the shrub or check the ground daily for ripe fruit. Properly ripe fruit gives slightly to thumb pressure and has a strong pineapple aroma. Cut in half and scoop out the jelly-like aromatic flesh. The flowers earlier in the season are also edible; pluck only the white sepals (leave the bright red stamens for pollination) for sweet tropical-flavored salad additions.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 55 calories per 100 g with 6.4 g fiber (high!), 32.9 mg vitamin C (55 percent of DV), 172 mg potassium, and notable iodine content (unusual among fruits). The aromatic compounds give Pineapple Guava its distinctive perfume, and the high pectin makes the fruit excellent for jam and chutney.