Guayaba- Psidium guajava

Guayaba- Psidium guajava

Guava is known in many parts of the world as “the poor man’s apple.” The guava tree bears sweet, tangy and crunchy fruits which are delicious when eaten raw or when made into jams and jellies. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, guava fruits can range in size from as small as an apricot to as large as a grapefruit. Various cultivars have white, pink, or red flesh, and a few also feature red (instead of green) skin.

From seed, common guavas may bloom and set fruit in as few as 2 years, or as many as 8. Cuttings and grafting are more commonly used as a propagation method in commercial groves. Highly adaptable, guavas can be easily grown as container plants in temperate regions, though their ability to bloom and set fruit is somewhat less predictable. In some tropical locales, guavas can become invasive.