Acca sellowiana

Feijoa is an attractive evergreen shrub bearing delicious fruits with an unusual, refreshing pineapple-mint flavor. The leaves are soft green on top, silvery underneath. Withstands temperatures from about 5 degrees F to 12 degrees F. Zones 7 (sheltered) to 9.

1" wide fuchsia-like, white petal flowers have showy red centers reminiscent of fuchsia flowers. The white flower petals are one of the best tasting edible flowers. Succulent and sweet, and vanilla like, feijoa flowers can be enjoyed alone or in fruit or vegetable salads. Low maintenance plant, no insects or diseases. Ideal for containers and can be planted at the beach because of its high salt tolerance. Feijoa looks excellent in the landscape and makes a beautiful hedge. Clients in Richmond and Virginia Beach areas find it hardy and richly rewarding to grow. Withstands temperatures from about 5 degrees F to 12 degrees F. Zones 7 (sheltered) to 9. At our nursery Feijoa planted outside on the south side of our office has overwintered and fruited since 2008,with winter injury 2014 and 15. Space 6' to 8' circle in zone 7 and 10' to 12' in zones 8 & 9. Plant two plants to insure pollination.

Feijoa prefer cool winters and moderate summers (80° to 90° F), and are generally adapted to areas where temperatures stay above 15° F. Flower production is poor in areas with fewer than 50 hours of chilling. The flavor of the fruit is much better in cool than in warm regions. Even thought the plants are relatively hardy, sudden fall frosts can damage ripening fruit and late spring frosts can destroy blossoms. Spring frost damage is most likely in mild-winter areas, where the plants are not completely hardened off and respond to warm spells by blooming early.

The Feijoa is a slow-growing evergreen shrub that can reach 15 ft. high and 15 ft. wide. The bark is pale gray and the spreading branches are swollen at the nodes and white-hairy when young. In addition to the fruit it provides, the shrub also doubles handsomely as a landscape specimen. When planted close together, the shrubs make a nice hedge, screen, or windbreak. Feijoa can also be espaliered or trained as a small tree (20 to 25 ft. tall) with one or more trunks. The wood is dense, hard, and brittle.

Flowers
The 1 inch showy, bisexual flowers, borne singly or in a cluster, have long, bright red stamens topped with large grains of yellow pollen. Flowers appear late, from May through June. Each flower contains four to six fleshy flower petals that are white tinged with purple on the inside. These petals are mildly sweet and edible and can make a refreshing addition to spring salads. Birds eating the petals pollinate the flower.

It has been said that Feijoa pollen is transferred by birds that are attracted to and eat the flowers, but bees are the chief pollinators. Most flowers pollinated with compatible pollen show 60 to 90% fruit set. Hand pollination is nearly 100% effective. Two or more bushes should be planted together for cross-pollination unless the cultivar is known to be self-compatible. Poor bearing is usually the result of inadequate pollination.

Location
To protect the fruit from sunburn and other adverse effects of high temperature, choose a plant site away from hot, reflected sun in zone 9. The Feijoa can tolerate partial shade and slight exposure to salt spray. They also make an excellent foundation planting, either singly or as an informal hedge.

Soil
Feijoa will grow in a wide variety of soils. The best harvests, however, come from plants growing in well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. They are fairly salt tolerant, but salinity slows growth and reduces yields.

Irrigation
Foundation plantings of feijoas in summer dry California have survived for several years without supplemental water. Lack of water, however, will cause the fruit to drop. For quality harvests, water deeply on a regular basis, especially during flowering and fruit periods, and mulch the soil around the plants to protect the shallow roots.

Fertilization
Feijoa grow slowly and require only light applications of a complete fertilizer. A feeding of 8-8-8 NPK once every two months can speed growth.

Pruning
Pruning is not required to keep plants productive, but a light pruning in the summer after fruit is harvested will encourage new growth and increase yields the following year. Thinning the plant also permits easier harvesting. When grown as a hedge, the Feijoa responds well to heavy pruning or shearing, but this reduces flower and fruit production. Pests and diseases: The Feijoa is remarkably pest and disease-resistant. It is occasionally attacked by black scale in California, as well as fruit flies where that is a problem.

Harvest
In southern California the fruits ripen 4-1/2 to 6 months after flowers appear and in 5-1/2 to 7 months in the San Francisco area. As the fruit matures, its color changes almost imperceptibly. The best way is to allow them to fall from the tree. Giving the tree a shake and gathering the fruit from the ground every couple of days is the usual method of harvesting. To keep the fruit from bruising, place a tarp or other large cloth under the tree to catch them as they fall. Feijoa can also be picked when firm and mature and allowed to ripen at room temperature, although the quality will not be as good as tree ripened fruit. Mature fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week, but after that the quality declines. Feijoa are mainly eaten fresh as a dessert or in salads, but can also be cooked in puddings, pies, etc. After peeling, the fruit should be immediately dipped into water containing fresh lemon juice to prevent the flesh from turning brown.

If you are in a colder winter area for transplanting Feijoa in the fall, it is our advise not to plant in the quart size until next spring after frost in May or June in your area. You may grow it indoors in a larger pot or protect it from temperatures below 25*F in cool storage. If stored do not let it dry out. Our warranty does not cover winter kill on when planted in marginal areas in the fall. If you must plant outside, chose a site protected from the wind and mulch around Thanksgiving to Christmas about 3" deep and about a 3' circle.