Strawberry guava as it is sometimes known is a sweet, slightly tender evergreen shrub with tasty edible berries. Compact growing myrtle with aromatic foliage. This resident of Chile/Argentina has been grown for hundreds of years in Europe and also the US. The fruits are about the size of a dime and have a sweet menthol -strawberry taste. Pendant pink/white flowers are born at the end of long stems. The evergreen foliage is small and matte, not shiny like most myrtles. 150 years ago this plant was a favorite fruit of Queen Victoria of England. To 6′ tall by 3′ wide in 10 years. Excellent container subject that you should protect if temperatures drop below 20F. In the ground choose a protected site, against a south or west facing aspect. Cover with cardboard box to shield from winds and temps below 20F. In extreme winters it can freeze to the ground below 10F but recovery from the roots is swift and it will regain stature quickly. Flowers/fruit are born on new wood, prune if needed when blooming has ended. Scale and culture as lends this shrub to topiary and also espalier which will aid in winter protection, Closely related to real Guavas. The fruit that ripens in late summer are worth it. Moderate deer resistance. Regular irrigation. Adorable shrub all around. Long season of interest, it is in bloom for an extended period 6 -8 weeks in mid-late spring and the dainty fruit take several months to form and ripen- normally by late summer and early autumn. Excellent performance at the Oregon coast.
