The guavas (psidium), which belongs to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), provide berry-like fruits that contain a lot of vitamin C and are otherwise very healthy. In addition, the slightly sour fruit is also quite tasty - similar in taste to passion fruit - and is also considered to be comparatively easy to care for. So it's no wonder that the exotic plant is increasingly being cultivated as a container plant.
The guava originally comes from Latin America
origin and distribution
Endemic - i.e. H. originally - guavas are mainly at home in Central and South America as well as in the Caribbean. There, the trees and shrubs, which are up to six meters high on average, thrive in the tropical and subtropical climate and provide the locals with tasty and healthy fruits all year round, which are eaten raw and processed into jams and compotes. Since the plant is considered to be quite productive and also adaptable, it has now spread to other tropical regions or was introduced there by humans. The plant is native only to the New World, where it has developed an astonishing variety of species with an estimated 150 different species. However, not all of them form the coveted fruits.
Types and Varieties of Guava
The edible species of guava include, for example, the real guava (Psidium guajava), which is primarily native to South America. It is a tree that grows up to 13 meters high in its homeland and has a smooth, gray bark. This usually forms pear-shaped fruits with white or yellow flesh. The skin is also yellow when ripe. The Brazilian guava (Acca sellowiana), also known as pineapple guava or feijoa, is a shrub-like tree that in nature reaches a maximum height of about five meters. The shape and color of the fruit is not dissimilar to that of a kiwi. This species is particularly suitable for keeping in a bucket and even tolerates light frosts. However, the Brazilian guava is also a myrtle plant, but strictly speaking it is not a guava - in contrast to the strawberry guava (Psidium cattleyanum), which is also often cultivated as a container plant and produces bright red fruits.
tips
No matter which guava you choose to grow at home, none of the plants are hardy. The plants, which originate from the tropics, must be overwintered cool and frost-free at around 10 °C and as brightly as possible.