Kakariki™ Pineapple Guava (Feijoa)

Kakariki™ Pineapple Guava is a very early ripening New Zealand selection, making it an excellent choice for the Pacific Northwest and other regions with mild winters. This vigorous evergreen shrub produces heavy, consistent crops of large, 1–3" fruit with excellent flavour. The sweet, highly aromatic fruit has thin, edible skin and can be eaten whole. Fruit can be enjoyed fresh from the plant or used in baking, preserves and other cooked dishes. The attractive plants are evergreen, grow 6.5–10 feet tall and can live and produce for up to 50 years. Pineapple guava, also known as Feijoa, is a temperate subtropical, evergreen shrub that offers delicious harvests of tropical tasting fruit with a guava-like flavour. Native to the cool highlands of South America, pineapple guava has become especially popular in New Zealand, where it’s grown commercially and enjoyed as a beloved backyard crop. In late spring, pineapple guavas bloom with showy white-and-crimson flowers. The flower petals are edible, and they are so sweet they taste like cotton candy. By autumn, the plant produces fragrant, egg-shaped fruits with a tropical flavour that's described as a blend of pineapple, guava, and mint. Drought-tolerant once established, pineapple guavas thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. They are cold hardy to Zone 7 (-18ºC) but treating them as a Zone 8 plant (-12ºC or warmer) will see them do better over winter. Keeping them sheltered from winter winds also helps, especially because they keep their leaves through winter. Pineapple guava shrubs are becoming increasingly popular, with a very devoted following. We offer early ripening, grafted cultivars. Common names: Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Guavasteen, Brazilian Guavas, Fig Guavas, Guayabo Del Pais Edible: Fruit and flower petals Harvest timing: Very early (September-October, one week earlier than Kaiteri™) Scientific name: Acca sellowiana 'Kakariki' (previously Feijoa sellowiana) Light requirements: Full sun Full-grown size: 6.5-10' tall x 5.5-6' wide Hardiness: Zone 7 (-18ºC), but will do better in Zone 8 or warmer (above -12ºC). Pollination: Partially self-fertile, but cross-pollination with another variety of pineapple guava can increase yields and is recommended. Wildlife: Flowers and fruit attract birds, bees and butterflies. Origin: Native to South America. Cultivar bred in New Zealand. Noteworthy: Evergreen. Very early ripening.