Family: MYRTACEAE
Another common name is pineapple guava.
A bushy, evergreen shrub (1 -6 m) which is native to southern Brazil, northern Argentina, western Paraguay and Uruguay. It is cultivated in the highlands of Chile, New Zealand and Australia.
It prefers a deep, rich, organic soil which is kept summer moist. It is drought tolerant but does not produce much fruit under drought stress. It prefers a cool season and produces a better flavoured fruit in cooler regions. It can tolerate temperatures down to - 11°C. The plant has a shallow fibrous root system.
The fruit is variable depending on the tree and the season. It has the flavour suggested by the common name pineapple guava. It is delicious eaten out of hand but is also a valuable addition to fruit salads. The fruit is high in pectin and makes a good jelly.
Nutritional composition of the feijoa per 100 grams of edible portion is: Water - 84%, Fat - 0.2 g, Protein - 0.9 g, Ash - 0.5 g, Calcium - 4 mg, Potassium - 166 mg, Sodium - 5 mg, Magne-sium - 8 mg, Iron - 0.05 mg, Phosphorous - 10 mg, Iodine - 0.165 - 0.39 mg, Ascorbic acid - 28 - 35 mgs and the digestion time is 3 hours.
It is a good windbreak species. Propagation is by seed (plants grow reasonably similar to the parent), cuttings and by graft.