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Related
Species:
In more recent times Feijoa sellowiana has been renamed Acca sellowiana, but most sources still use the older name.
Distant affinity:
Eugenias (Eugenia spp.), Guavas (Psidium spp.), Jaboticaba (Myrciaria spp.).
Adaptation:
Feijoas 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.
DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit: 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. Feijoas 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.
Foliage: The evergreen, thick,
leathery leaves of the feijoa are opposite, short-petioled and bluntly
elliptical. In size they range from 1 to 2-1/2 inches long and 5/8
to 1 inch wide. The leaves are smooth soft green on top and silvery
underneath, flashing nicely in a gentle breeze.
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.
Fruits: The fruits range from 3/4
to 3-1/2 inches long and vary in shape from round to elongated pear
shape, with the persistent calyx segments adhering to the apex.
The waxy skin is dull blue-green to blue or grayish green, sometimes
with a red or orange blush. Skin texture varies from smooth to rough
and pebbly and is 3/16 to 5/8 inch thick. The fruit emits a strong
long-lasting perfume, even before it is fully ripe. The thick, white,
granular, watery flesh and the translucent central pulp enclosing
the seeds are sweet or subacid, suggesting a combination of pineapple
and guava or pineapple and strawberry, often with overtones of winter
green or spearmint. There are usually 20 - 40, occasionally more,
very small, oblong seeds hardly noticeable when the fruit is eaten.
CULTURE
Location: To protect the fruit from sunburn and other adverse
effects of high temperature, choose a plant site away from hot,
reflected sun. 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: Feijoas 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: Feijoas 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.
Propagation: The feijoa grows easily
from seed, but the seedlings are not always true to type. Seeds
are separated by squeezing the seedy pulp into a container, covering
with water, and letting the liquid stand for 4 days to ferment.
The seeds are then strained out and dried before sowing. The seeds
will retain viability for a year or more if kept dry. Germination
takes place in 3 weeks. The plant fruits in 3 - 5 years from seed.
Vegetative means are necessary to reproduce a variety. Young wood
cuttings will root within two months with bottom heat and mist.
Whip, tongue or veneer grafting methods are sometimes successful,
as is air-layering and ground layering. Cutting-grown plants of
named varieties are most desirable, because they can be trained
in a variety of ways, and can be maintained as multitrunked shrubs
without concern that suckers will develop into "rogue" branches.
Pests and diseases: The feijoa
is remarkably pest and disease-resistant. It is occasionally attacked
by 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 very 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. Feijoas 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. Feijoas 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.
Commercial Potential: In California
the feijoa is grown in a limited way for its fruit, especially in
cool coastal locations, mainly around San Francisco. There has also
been a major effort in New Zealand to commercialize the feijoa.
Both domestic and imported fruit can often be found in the markets,
but the demand does not seem to be great.
CULTIVARS
Apollo Medium to large, oval fruit.
Smooth, thin, light-green skin with blue-green surface bloom, subject
to bruising and purpling. Pulp well-developed, slightly gritty.
Flavor very pleasant, quality excellent. Ripens mid to late-season.
Tree upright and spreading, to 8 ft. tall, vigorous and productive.
Self-fertile, and will pollinate Gemini.
Choiceana Originated in Australia.
Small to medium-sized, round to oval fruit, 2 to 3-1/2 inches long.
Skin fairly smooth. Flavor and quality good. Ripens in midseason.
Tree moderately vigorous, spreading. Almost or always, but not less
than 42% self-fertile.
Coolidge Originated in Australia
prior to 1908. Small to medium-sized fruit, 4 or more inches in
length and 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Form pyriform to oblong or
elongated. Skin somewhat wrinkled. Flavor mild, indifferent quality.
Tree upright and strong growing, a reliable and heavy bearer, 100% self-fertile.
The most widely planted cultivar in California.
Edenvale Improved Coolidge Originated
in Santa Cruz, Calif. by Frank Serpa of Edenvale Nurseries. Large,
oblong fruit of very good to excellent flavor and quality. Ripens
in October. Tree slow growing. Self-fertile, precocious and productive.
Grows best in climates similar to cool, coastal ares of southern
California.
Edenvale Late From Edenvale Nurseries.
Mediuim-sized, oblong fruit of very good to excellent flavor and
quality. Ripens late, in January,and over a long period of time.
Tree slow growing. Self-fertile, very productive. Grows best in
climates similar to cool, coastal areas of southern California.
Edenvale Supreme From Edenvale
Nurseries. Medium-sized, oblong fruit of very good to excellent
flavor and quality. Ripens in November. Best eaten soon after harvest.
Tree slow growing. Self-fertile, precocious and productive. Grows
best in climates similar to cool, coastal areas of southern California.
Gemini Fruit small to medium, egg-shaped.
Skin very smooth, thin, dark green with a heavy bloom. Flavor and
texture excellent. Ripens in early autumn, earlier than Apollo.
Tree upright, spreading, to 8 ft tall. Moderately vigorous, high
yielding, partially self-fruitful, but cross pollination is recommended
for best fruit quality.
Mammoth Selected in New Zealand
from seedlings of the Choiceana. Large, round to oval fruit, to
8-1/2 ounces, resembling Coolidge. Skin thick, somewhat wrinkled.
Flesh somewhat gritty, quality and flavor very good. Matures early
in midseason. Softer and not as good a shipper as Triumph. Tree
of upright habit, to 10 ft. tall, strong growing. Self-fertile,
but bears larger fruit, with cross-pollination.
Moore Large, flavorsome fruit.
Ripens in midseason. Very vigorous plant. Recommended for California.
Nazemetz Originated in San Diego,
Calif. by Alexander Nazemetz. Large, pear-shaped fruit, averaging
3 ounce in weight. Side walls moderately thin. Pulp translucent
and sweet. Flavor and quality excellent. Ripens in late October
to mid-December. Unlike that of many other cultivars, the pulp of
Nazemetz does not darken after being cut or as it ripens, but retains
its clear color. Tree self-fertile, but bears most heavily when
cross-pollinated. Good pollinator for Trask.
Pineapple Gem Originated in Azusa,
Calif. by Monrovia Nursery. Small, round fruit of good to very good
quality. Mid to late season ripening. Tree self-fruitful but bears
heavier crops if pollinated. Does poorly under cool, coastal conditions.
Trask Originated as a bud sport
of Coolidge. Medium to large, oblong fruit, up to 3-1/2 inches long
and weighing 3 to 5 ounces. Rough, dark green skin. Shells thicker
and grittier than Coolidge. Flavor and quality good to very good.
Ripens early. Tree self-fertile, but most productive when cross-pollinated.
Precocious. Ideal pollinator for Nazemetz.
Triumph Selected in New Zealand
from seedlings of the Choiceana cultivar. Short, oval, plump fruits.,
not pointed as those of Coolidge, medium to large. Skin uneven but
firm. Flesh somewhat gritty but with good seed to pulp ratio. Excellent
sharp flavor. Ripens to midseason. Tree upright, of medium vigor.
Bears heavily if pollinated. Good pollinator for Mammoth. |
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AVAILABLE FROM:
This fruit is not carried by any of our member nurseries.
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