Pineapple Guava Varieties Most feijoa cultivars arise from a narrow genetic base, with many named cultivars arising from Uruguay, California, and New Zealand. Modern genetic improvement efforts by private breeding programs in New Zealand have developed new cultivars with substantially larger fruits approaching 300 g. Several genetic improvement programs seek to combine the traits of self-fertility, high yields, consistent shape/size in fruit, good flavor, high sugar content, acceptable shipping, and shelf life. 1 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. One should plant 2 or more bushes together for cross-pollination unless the cultivar is known to be self-compatible. Poor bearing is usually the result of inadequate pollination. 3 'Apollo' Originated in New Zealand. 1 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. 3 'Choiceana' Originated in California. 1 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. 3 'Coolidge' Developed in 1913; Coolidge Rare Plant Garden, Pasadena, CA. 1 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. 3 'Edenvale' 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. 3 'Mammoth' Originated in Australia. 1 Has oval fruits, sweet, edible quality, resembling those of 'Coolidge'; large, to 8 1/2 oz (240 g); somewhat wrinkled. Self-fruiting but more fruitful with pollination. The plant is of upright habit, and strong-growing. In 1979, 'Mammoth', 'Coolidge', and 'Triumph' grown from cuttings were being advertised in the New Zealand journal of Agriculture as suitable for export. 2 'Nazemetz' ('Nazemeta') 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'. 3 'Precocious' Originated in Oregon, USA. 1 Medium size fruit. Early, profuse flowering through a longer season. 1 'Rannaya' (Nakita) Originated in Ukraine. 1 Large fruit. Compact plant growth habit. 1 'Robert' Originated in New Zealand. 1 'Robert' has oval fruits with grainy flesh, and undesirable brownish leaves. Early (maturing up to 2 months earlier); medium-size, very uniform oval fruits; juicy but somewhat gritty; when not cross-pollinated well, produces some hollow fruit. 2 'Superba' Originated in Australia. 1 'Superba' has round to slightly oval, medium smooth, medium to small fruits of good flavor; self-sterile, requiring another cultivar for pollination. The plant is spreading, straggly in habit and of medium vigor. 2 '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'. 2 '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 mid-season. Tree upright, of medium vigor. Bears heavily if pollinated. Good pollinator for 'Mammoth' 2 'Unique' Sweet, flavorful; vigorous, robust (8-10 ft); self-fruit but more fruitful with pollination, one of the more "loaded" clones even bearing well on younger plants. 2 The only reliably self-fertile feijoa variety. Ripens early, unremarkable flavor. 1  Outside of the truly self-fertile ‘Unique’, all feijoa varieties are at best partially self-fertile and produce larger crops when pollinated by another variety. 1 Back to Pineapple Guava Page |
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| Bibliography 1 Folta, et al. "Growing feijoa fruit in Florida." Horticultural Sciences Dept., UF/IFAS Extension, HS1424, Original pub. Dec. 2021, AskIFAS, edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1424. Accessed 12 Apr. 2023. 2 Fruits of Warm Climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, 1987. 3 "Feijoa." California Rare Fruit Growers, 1996, crfg.org. Accessed 18 Jan. 2014. Published 18 Jan. 2014 LR. Last update 13 Apr. 2023 LR |
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