Plants of the UNF Campus
Acca sellowiana (syn. Feijoa sellowiana) - Pineapple guava
Family Myrtaceae
Description:
About eight species
of Acca are native to South America. Pineapple guava is native to the
southern end of the continent. It is a large evergreen shrub or small tree
capable of growing to twenty feet tall. Undersides of the leathery leaves are
white. Both the petals of the purple flowers and the ripe, green fruits are
edible. It is a drought tolerant landscape plant for Florida.
Commercial fruit production exists in the U.S. but is limited. Several
cultivated varieties exist but they are uncommon in Florida. For fruit
production, two plants are needed for cross-pollination. This is complicated by
the fact that Acca is grown from cuttings for the nursery trade. Plants
grown from cuttings from the same parent plant will not provide good
cross-pollination. Some reports state that birds are the principal pollinators
in the wild. Bees are pollinators in north Florida.
Location:
See plants on the west side of the Fine Arts Building (45) and the southeast corner of building 2.
Size:
Large shrub or small tree capable of reaching about twenty feet tall.
Care Instructions:
Light: full sun
Water: drought tolerant once established
Soil: well-drained, wide pH tolerance, no special requirements
Pineapple guava is easy to grow in
north Florida. Give it a sunny location and a well-drained soil. Usually, it is
seen as a shrub but it can be trained as an attractive small tree suitable for
smaller properties.
Acca sellowiana (syn. Feijoa sellowiana)
Pineapple guava
Myrtaceae
About eight species
of Acca are native to South America. Pineapple guava is native to the
southern end of the continent. It is a large evergreen shrub or small tree
capable of growing to twenty feet tall. Undersides of the leathery leaves are
white. Both the petals of the purple flowers and the ripe, green fruits are
edible. It is a drought tolerant landscape plant for Florida.
Commercial fruit production exists in the U.S. but is limited. Several
cultivated varieties exist but they are uncommon in Florida. For fruit
production, two plants are needed for cross-pollination. This is complicated by
the fact that Acca is grown from cuttings for the nursery trade. Plants
grown from cuttings from the same parent plant will not provide good
cross-pollination. Some reports state that birds are the principal pollinators
in the wild. Bees are pollinators in north Florida.
Acca_sellowiana.jpg
See plants on the west side of the Fine Arts Building (45) and the southeast corner of building 2.
Large shrub or small tree capable of reaching about twenty feet tall.
full sun
drought tolerant once established
well-drained, wide pH tolerance, no special requirements
Pineapple guava is easy to grow in
north Florida. Give it a sunny location and a well-drained soil. Usually, it is
seen as a shrub but it can be trained as an attractive small tree suitable for
smaller properties.