Fruit Tree
Pineapple Guava
Acca sellowiana (syn. Feijoa sellowiana) · Myrtaceae
Also called: Feijoa, Guavasteen
Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana (syn. Feijoa sellowiana)) is a low-water fruit tree well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun for best fruiting, with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Pineapple Guava at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun for best fruiting; tolerates and may appreciate light afternoon shade in the hottest low-desert sites.
- Mature size
- 10-15 ft tall and wide as a shrub/small tree; readily kept smaller.
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- White petals with showy crimson-red stamens (edible, sweet petals), Late spring (May-June). Mildly self-fertile but fruit set is much heavier with a second seedling/cultivar for cross-pollination. Fruit ripens fall (October-November), dropping when ripe.
- Cold hardiness
- Evergreen; cold-hardy to about 12-15°F, so reliably hardy in Tucson (USDA 9a-9b). Heat- and sun-tolerant once established.
- Soil
- Adaptable - sand to clay; prefers well-drained soil, pH 5.5-8.0, and tolerates the alkaline soils common in Tucson.
- Native range
- Native to the highlands of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
- Best used as
- Edible fruit (sweet, aromatic - eaten fresh, in jams, smoothies), Edible flower petals, Evergreen ornamental / informal hedge / screen, Pollinator plant, Xeric edible landscaping
- Wildlife
- Nectar-rich flowers attract bees and birds (birds pollinate while eating the sweet petals).
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic; fruit and petals are edible and considered safe for pets and children.
How to grow Pineapple Guava in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established but fruits best with regular deep watering - roughly every 7-10 days in summer, monthly or less in winter. Consistent moisture during flowering and fruit set reduces fruit drop and improves size.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder. Apply a balanced fruit-tree fertilizer in early spring and again in early summer; responds well to compost/mulch. Iron chelate may help if chlorosis develops on alkaline soils.
Pruning & care
Largely optional. Prune lightly after harvest (fall/winter) to shape, thin the interior for light and air, or maintain as a shrub or small tree; can be sheared as a hedge (at some cost to fruit). Flowers form on new growth, so avoid heavy spring shearing.
Notes
An excellent dual-purpose evergreen for Tucson: drought- and heat-adapted, pest/disease resistant, and ornamental year-round. Plant a second plant (or named self-fertile cultivars like 'Coolidge') for reliable crops. Best planted in spring or fall. Note correct accepted botanical name is Acca sellowiana; Feijoa sellowiana is the older synonym.
Sources: University of Arizona CALES (cales.arizona.edu) Feijoa sellowiana profile; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum / UA Cooperative Extension; NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox