From the book
Fruits of Warm Climates
by Julia F. Morton
Feijoa
Feijoa sellowiana Berg.
MYRTACEAE
Few fruit bearers have
received as much initial high-level attention and yet have amounted to
so little as this member of the Myrtaceae, Feijoa sellowiana
Berg. It is the best known of only 3 species in the genus which the
German botanist, Ernst Berger, named after Don da Silva Feijoa, a
botanist of San Sebastian, Spain. The specific name honors F. Sellow, a
German who collected specimens in the province of Rio Grande do Sul in
southern Brazil. The paucity of vernacular names is indicative of its
lack of popularity. In Uruguay, it is called, in Spanish, guayabo del
pais. It has been nicknamed "pineapple guava", "Brazilian guava" and
"fig guava". The term "guavasteen" has been adopted in Hawaii. The most
unlikely term, "New Zealand banana", has shown up in agricultural
literature from that country.
Fig. 100: The feijoa, or pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana) which thrives best in areas too cool for the common guava, is not fully ripe until it falls to the ground.
Description
The
plant is a bushy shrub 3 to 20 ft (0.9-6 m) or more in height with pale
gray bark; the spreading branches swollen at the nodes and white-hairy
when young. The evergreen, opposite, short-petioled, bluntly elliptical
leaves are thick, leathery, 1 1/8 to 2 1/2 in (2.8-6.25 cm) long, 5/8
to 1 1/8 in (1.6-2.8 cm) wide; smooth and glossy on the upper surface,
finely veiny and silvery-hairy beneath. Conspicuous, bisexual flowers,
1 1/2 in (4 cm) wide, borne singly or in clusters, have 4 fleshy, oval,
concave petals, white outside, purplish-red inside; 5/8 to 3/4 in
(1.6-2 cm) long, and a cluster of numerous, erect, purple stamens with
round, golden-yellow anthers. The fruit is oblong or ovoid or slightly
pear-shaped, 1-1 1/2 to 2 1/2 in (4-6 cm) long and 1 1/8 to 2 in (2.8-5
cm) wide, with the persistent calyx segments adhering to the apex. The
thin skin is coated with a "bloom" of fine whitish hairs until
maturity, when it remains dull-green or yellow-green, sometimes with a
red or orange blush. 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 in flavor. There are usually 20 to 40, occasionally as
many as 100, very small, oblong seeds hardly noticeable when the fruit
is eaten.
Origin and Distribution
The
feijoa is native to extreme southern Brazil, northern Argentina,
western Paraguay and Uruguay where it is common wild in the mountains.
It is believed that the plant was first grown in Europe by M. de Wette
in Switzerland and, a little later, about 1887, it was known to be in
the Botanic Garden at Basle. In 1890, the renowned French botanist and
horticulturist, Dr. Edouard Andre, brought an air-layered plant from La
Plata, Brazil and planted it in his garden on the Riviera. It fruited
in 1897. Dr. Andre published a description with color plates of the
leaves, flowers and fruit, in the Revue Horticole in 1898, praising the
fruit and recommending cultivation in southern France and all around
the Mediterranean area.
A nurseryman in Lyons distributed
air-layers from the Andre plant in 1899 and many were planted on the
Riviera, some in Italy and Spain and some in greenhouses further north.
That same year, the prominent nurserymen, Besson Freres, obtained seeds
from Montevideo and raised thousands of plants which were widely sold
and proved to be of a different type than Dr. Andre's plant. Seeds were
imported by one or two other French nurserymen, and then, in 1901,
seedlings from Dr. Andre's plant were obtained by Dr. F. Franceschi of
Santa Barbara, California, from M. Naudin of Antibes. These were
planted at several different California locations. In 1903, Dr.
Franceschi acquired, through F. Morel of Lyons, several air layers from
Dr. Andre's plant. He planted 1 or 2 at Santa Barbara and most of the
rest were sent to Florida. The plant did not succeed in southern
Florida but became quite popular in northern Florida, primarily as an
ornamental and particularly as a clipped hedge. Dr. Henry Nehrling had
two plants growing well in a shed in half-shade at Gotha in central
Florida, in 1911. They flowered and fruited but the fruit dropped
before maturity and rotted quickly. In recent years, the cultivar
'Coolidge', vegetatively propagated, has borne well in Florida. In
California, the feijoa is grown in a limited way for its fruit,
especially in cool coastal locations, mainly around San Francisco. At
the Experimental Station in Honolulu a plant flourished for 15 years
without bearing fruit. Later plantings have succeeded at higher
elevations.
The feijoa is sometimes cultivated in the highlands
of Chile and other South American countries and in the Caribbean area.
Jamaica received a few plants from California in 1912 and planted them
at various altitudes. I have seen occasional plants on roadsides and in
private gardens in the Bahamas, but they do not fruit and often fail to
flower. In southern India, the feijoa is grown for its fruit in home
gardens at temperate elevations–about 3,500 ft (1,067 m).
Nowhere
has the feijoa received more attention than in New Zealand. An Auckland
nurseryman introduced 3 cultivars from Australia–'Coolidge',
'Choiceana', and 'Superba'–about 1908. They remained little known
until 1930 when the feijoa was advertised as an ornamental plant.
Later, after improvement by selection and naming of types with large,
superior fruits and their vegetative propagation, small commercial
plantings were made in citrus-growing areas of the North Island. The
New Zealand Feijoa Growers' Association was formed in 1983 and some
fruit is being exported to the United States, United Kingdom, Germany,
Netherlands, France and Japan. New Zealanders also plant the feijoa as
a windbreak around wind-sensitive crops. It is planted as an ornamental
and for its fruit in southern Africa. Following WW II, feijoa
plantations were established in North Africa, the Caucasian region of
southern Russia, as well as in Sicily, Portugal and Italy.
In
England, the feijoa is much appreciated as a wall shrub, though it
flowers profusely only in sunny locations. Planting of feijoas has been
officially discouraged in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia,
because the fruit is a prime host of the fruit fly.
Varieties
As
stated, right at the outset seedlings from different sources showed
distinct characteristics. It is reported that a man named H. Hehre of
Los Angeles got seeds from Argentina and among the seedlings he raised
there was one that seemed superior to the others and was earlier
bearing. It became known as the 'Hehre'
variety. The fruit is large, slender-pyriform, sometimes curved;
yellow-green, with thin skin, finely granular flesh, abundant, very
juicy pulp, fairly numerous and larger than ordinary seeds, sweet but
not aromatic flavor; seedlings erect, compact, vigorous, with lush
foliage but only moderately fruitful.
'Andre'
(the original air-layer from Brazil), has a medium to large, oblong to
round fruit, rough-surfaced, light-green, thick-fleshed, few-seeded;
richly flavored and very aromatic. Seedlings are upright, spreading to
intermediate. Self-fertile; bears heavily.
'Besson'
(seeds from Uruguay in 1899) has small to medium, oval, smooth fruits
with red or maroon cheek; thin-skinned, with medium-thick, fine-grained
flesh, very juicy pulp, numerous seeds, and rich, aromatic flavor.
Seedlings are upright or spreading. This is the type grown in southern
India. Both 'Andre' and 'Besson' have long been prominent in France.
'Coolidge',
most commonly grown in California, has fruit varying from pyriform to
oblong or elongated, of medium size, with somewhat crinkled skin. It is
of indifferent flavor but is a dependable bearer being 100%
self-fertile. The plant is upright and strong growing.
'Choiceana',
next in favor, has round to oval, fairly smooth, medium sized to small
fruit, 2 to 3 1/2 in (5-9 cm) long, of good flavor; almost always or no
less than 42% self-fertile; the plant of spreading habit and medium
vigor.
'Superba' has
round to slightly oval, medium smooth, medium to small fruits of good
flavor; it is partially (33%) self-incompatible. The plant is
spreading, straggly in habit and of medium vigor.
The two leading New Zealand cultivars are selections made there from 'Choiceana' seedlings: 'Triumph'
has oval, short, plump fruits, not as pointed as those of 'Coolidge';
medium to large; smooth. The plant is upright, of medium vigor.
'Mammoth'
has oval fruits resembling those of 'Coolidge'; large, to 8 1/2 oz (240
g); somewhat wrinkled. 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.
Two new New Zealand cultivars, of which 20,000 plants had been sold in 1983, are 'Apollo', with thin skin subject to bruising and purpling; and 'Gemini', having very small fruits with thin skin. The Association recommends that growers plant the tried and true 'Triumph'.
Among Australian selections are 'Large Oval' and 'Chapman'.
'David' has round or oval fruits with skin of sweet and agreeable flavor; matures in November in Europe.
'Roundjon' has oval or rounded fruits, somewhat rough-skinned and red-blushed; of agreeable flavor; matures in November in Europe.
'Magnifica' is a selected seedling with very large fruits of inferior quality.
'Robert' has oval fruits with grainy flesh, and undesirable brownish leaves.
'Hirschvogel' is highly self-incompatible. 'Bliss' is partially self-incompatible.
The botanical variety variegata has variegated foliage.
Pollination
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.
Climate
The
feijoa needs a subtropical climate with low humidity. The optimum
annual rainfall is 30 to 40 in (762-1,016 mm). The plant thrives where
the weather is cool part of the year and it can withstand temperatures
as low as 12° to 15° F (-11.11°-9.44°C). The
flavor of the fruit is much better in cool than in warm regions.
Soil
While
the shrub is often said to be adapted to a wide range of soil types and
in England does well even where there is a high chalk content, it
actually prefers rich organic soil and is not very thrifty on light or
sandy terrain. Some believe that an acid soil is best but the feijoa
has done well on soil with a pH of 6.2. It is drought-resistant but
needs adequate water for fruit production. The site must be
well-drained. The feijoa can tolerate partial shade and slight exposure
to salt spray.
Propagation
The
feijoa is generally grown from seed and reproduces fairly, but not
absolutely, 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. 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. Soil in nursery flats
must be sterile, otherwise there will be much loss of seedlings from
damping-off. The young plants are transplanted to pots when they have
produced their second leaves and later transferred to the field without
difficulty. The plant fruits in 3 to 5 years from seed. To reproduce a
special selection, vegetative propagation is, of course, necessary. In
France and New Zealand-ground-layering is practiced and rooting occurs
in 6 months. Air-layering is usually successful and the layers will
fruit the second year.
Whip-, tongue-, and veneer-grafting on
own rootstock the thickness of a pencil (about 2 years old) gives a low
percentage of "takes" but grafted plants will bear in 2 years. Feijoa
cuttings are said to be hard to root, but in England and Auckland
cuttings are preferred. Young wood from branch tips will root in 1 to 2
months with bottom heat. If placed in sand in a glass-covered box in
full sun and kept well watered, they will root in 10 days. In New
Zealand, growers are advised to take 4 to 6 in (10-15 cm) cuttings of
side shoots in late summer, cutting close to the firm base or pulling
off with a heel of older wood which is then trimmed off; and a hormone
rooting agent is applied.
Culture
A
20-year-old plant on the Riviera was reported to be 15 ft (4.5 m) high
and 18 ft (5.5 m) in diameter with a trunk 8 in (20 cm.) thick at the
base. Because of the spreading habit of such types, 15 to 18 ft
(4.5-5.5 m) should be allowed between plants for good fruit production.
As the fruit is borne on young wood, pruning reduces the crop, but all
shoots below 12 in (30 cm) from the ground should be removed. Some
seedlings have a more erect habit and these should be chosen where
space is limited. The shrubs may be set 5 ft (1.5 m) apart to form a
barrier hedge; 3 ft (1 m) apart in a compact foundation planting. A 15
x 15 ft (4.5 x 4.5 m) spacing requires 190 plants per acre (468 per
hectare).
The feijoa requires little care beyond good soil
preparation before planting. Subsequent cultivation is inadvisable
because of the plant's shallow, fibrous root system which should be
left undisturbed. If planted for its fruit, fertilizer should be low in
nitrogen to avoid excessive vegetative growth. It should be watered
liberally during hot, dry spells.
Flowering
occurs in November in Uruguay, in late April in northern Florida, May
in southern California, early June in the San Francisco Bay area and
July in England. In southern California the fruits ripen 4 1/2 to 6
months after flowers appear, in the San Francisco Bay area, 5 1/2 to 7
months. In New Zealand fruits are borne from early February to May. The
fruits fall when mature and are collected daily from the ground and
kept cool until slightly soft to the touch. Straw mulch beneath the
plants helps avoid bruising. If picked from the tree before they are
ready to fall or if eaten before they are fully ripe, the fruits will
not have their full richness of flavor.
The 20-year-old Riviera
plant referred to above is said to have borne a crop of 2,000 fruits.
The yield is poor in India where the maximum crop per season is 100
fruits per plant, probably due to inadequate pollination or flower
damage by birds.
New Zealand test plantings have given the following
yields: 3rd year, 13.2 lbs (6 kg) per plant; 4,000 lbs/ acre, (4,000
kg/ha); 4th year, 26.5 lbs (12 kg) per plant; 8,000 lbs/acre, (8,000
kg/ha); 5th year, 39.7 lbs (18 kg) per plant; 12,000 lbs/acre (12,000
kg/ha). The growers now foresee 66 lbs (30 kg) per plant–25 tons
per hectare. In 1978, New Zealand produced 333 tons of
feijoas–149 tons to be sold fresh, and 184 tons to be processed.
In
New Zealand, flat tomato boxes are employed for shipping feijoas. A
case 4 1/2 in (11.25 cm) deep and 12 in (30 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) long
and wide holds about 20 lbs (9.07 kg).
Keeping Quality
If
the atmosphere is too warm, the interior of the fruit turns brown and
decays in 3 to 4 days even though the fruit may appear intact on the
surface. In cool storage, undamaged fruits will remain in good
condition for one month or longer. In France, fruits harvested in
November and December have been kept till spring at a cool temperature
and with sufficient humidity. In the early days of its introduction,
feijoa shipments were successfully made from France to California
despite being 30 days at sea. Today, air transport is essential for New
Zealand feijoas en route to Europe. They can be held 1 mo at 32° F
(0° C) and then have only a week's life on the market.
Pests and Diseases
The shrub is remarkably pest-resistant. Occasionally it may be attacked by hard wax scale (Ceroplastes sinensis) and associated sooty mold in New Zealand and Florida, also greedy scale in New Zealand, by black scale (Saissetia oleae) in California and southern Europe. In New Zealand, the larvae of a leaf-rolling caterpillar (Tortrix
spp.) and of a bagworm moth may eat holes in the leaves but they are
effectively controlled with suitable sprays. Fruit flies attack the
ripe fruits. A leaf-spotting fungus (Sphaceloma sp.) occasionally requires control measures. In Florida, leaf spot is caused by the fungi Cercospora sp., Cylindrocladium scoparium, and Phyllosticta sp.; algal leaf spot by Cephaleuros virescens. Thread blight (Corticium stevensii Burt. and Rhizoctonia ramicola), and mushroom root rot (Clytocybe tabescens).
Food Uses
When
preparing feijoas for eating or preserving, peeling should be
immediately followed by dipping into a weak salt solution or into water
containing fresh lemon juice. Both of these methods will prevent the
flesh from oxidizing (turning brown). The flesh and pulp (with seeds)
are eaten raw as dessert or in salads, or are cooked in puddings,
pastry fillings, fritters, dumplings, fruit-sponge-cake, pies or tarts,
or employed as flavoring for ice cream or soft drinks. Surplus fruits
may be peeled, halved and preserved in sirup in glass jars, or sliced
and crystallized, or made into chutney, jam, jelly, conserve, relish,
sauce or sparkling wine.
The thick petals are spicy and are
eaten fresh by children and sometimes by adults. The petals may be
plucked without interfering with fruit set.
| Food
Value Per
100 g of Edible Portion* |
| Moisture |
84% |
| Protein |
0.9% |
| Fat |
0.2% |
| Carbohydrates* |
10% |
| Ash |
0.5% |
Minerals: |
| Potassium |
166 mg |
| Sodium |
5 mg |
| Calcium |
4 mg |
| Magnesium |
8 mg |
| Phosphorus |
10 mg |
| Iron |
0.05 mg |
| Ascorbic Acid |
28-35 mg |
*Analyses reported in the literature. |
|
**Sugar 6% compared to 13% in the orange.
The
fruit is rich in water-soluble iodine compounds. The percentage varies
with locality and from year to year but the usual range is 1.65 to 3.90
mg/kg of fresh fruit. Most types are high in pectin, so that 3 lbs (1.4
kg) of jelly can be made from 1 lb (.45 kg) of fruit.
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