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Guava. The name guava is applied to the fruit of various species of Psidium, frequently with the addition of a qualifying word such as apple, pear, Cattley, to distinguish different species and varieties. In Spanish it is guayaba, in Portuguese goiaba. and in French goyave (the plant goyavier). In Brazil the name araca, with qualifying words, is applied to a number of wild species.
The common guava of the tropics is Psidium guajava, Linn., of which there are numerous varieties. Although the native home of this species is in tropical America, it is now widely distributed throughout the warmest regions of the globe. Under favorable conditions it becomes a tree 25 to 30 feet in height; its bark is smooth, greenish brown in color, while the leaves are opposite, oval, smooth, light green, the veins depressed above and prominent below. The flowers, which are produced in the axils of the leaves, are about an inch in diameter, with four incurved white petals and a large tuft of white stamens tipped with yellowish anthers.
The fruit varies in shape from spherical to pyrifonn, and in diameter from 1 to 4 inches. Commonly it is oval or slightly pyrifonn, and about 2 inches in diameter. The thin light yellow skin surrounds a layer of finely granular pulp, inside of which is a mass of softer pulp in which the small hard seeds are embedded. The color of the flesh varies from white through shades of salmon to deep pink, according to the variety; its flavor when fully ripe is sweet or slightly acid, and nearly always somewhat musky. The aroma is characteristic and rather penetrating; while objectionable to some persons it is very agreeable to others.
The fruit is eaten in many ways,—out of hand, sliced with cream, stewed, preserved, and in shortcakes and pies, but it is most highly valued for the manufacture of jams and jellies. In several tropical countries the manufacture of guava jelly forms quite an important industry. When well made, it is deep wine color, clear, of very firm consistency, and retains something of the peculiar musky flavor which characterizes the fruit, and which gives guava jelly an individuality which is its greatest asset. In Brazil a thick jam, known as goiabada, is made from the fruit and sold in large quantities throughout the country. A similar product is manufactured in the West Indies and Florida under the name of guava cheese.
The plant is cultivated to a limited extent in southern California, where it is frequently listed under the name of lemon guava. It is too tender for the colder sections of the state. In Florida it is not only cultivated in gardens, but is found in a semi-naturalized condition in some sections and has become a pest. The same is true in many other regions; the plant grows so readily from seed that it is sometimes difficult to prevent its spreading to places where it is not desired when the seeds are scattered by birds or other agencies.
The Cattley or strawberry guava, P. Cattleianum, Fig. 1769, is also a well-known fruit in this country. In Califprnia it is widely cultivated because of its superior hardiness, withstanding temperatures as low as 22° F. without injury. It does not grow to such large size as P. Guajava, but under favorable conditions forms an arborescent shrub 15 to 20 feet in height. Unlike P. guajava, its leaves are thick, leathery, and somewhat glossy, in size rarely over 2 ½ inches in length and in form obovate-elliptical. The fruit, which is usually produced in great abundance, is broadly pyriform to spherical, 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter. The skin is deep purplish maroon, the flesh translucent yellowish white, very soft and melting in texture. The seeds are rather numerous, irregularly oval in form. The flavor lacks the pungency of P. Guajava, and a resemblance, real or imagined, to that of the strawberry has suggested the common name of "strawberry guava." Jelly made from this fruit, while lacking the pronounced flavor of that made from P. Guajava, is nevertheless highly esteemed in California, most of the fruit being utilized for jelly-making.
While rather slow in growth, the plant frequently begins to bear fruit the second or third year from the seed. A horticultural form of this species, P. Cattleianum lucidum, generally listed by the trade as P. lucidum, is grown both in Florida and California, though not so extensively as P. Cattleianum itself. The chief difference between this form and the type lies in the color of the fruit, which in place of maroon is deep sulfur-yellow. The flavor, if anything, is a little milder and less pungent. It is a meritorious form, worthy of wider cultivation.
The "pineapple guava," of California, is Feijoa Sellowiana, a South American myrtaceous fruit not properly called a guava, perhaps, but so closely resembling some of the guavas in growth and fruit as to suggest this name. See Feijoa. Several other species of Psidium are grown in this country to a limited extent, some of them having been recently introduced. Tropical America is rich in species of Psidium, Brazil alone possessing a large number of economic value. Most of these are still in the wild state and capable of vast improvement by selection and breeding.
The culture of the guavas presents few difficulties. Nearly all species succeed on a variety of soils, requiring only that good drainage be provided. While propagation is nearly always by seed, some vegetative method must be used to perpetuate desirable varieties. This is especially important with P. Guajava, in which there is more variation than in P. Cattleianum, and desirable forms do not come true from seed. Grafting has been successfully performed but never widely practised. In California, budding has been quite successful, with large stocks an inch or more in diameter and square or oblong patch buds about 1 ½ inches in length. This method, however, does not seem very suitable for commercial use. Shield-budding has been successful in a few instances, the operation being performed as with citrus, and it is this method which probably offers the greatest advantages. Propagation by cuttings is also possible, when half-ripened wood is used and bottom heat is available. All these methods have been practised to a very limited extent, seed- propagation being practically the only method used in most tropical countries. Seeds retain their vitality for some time, but should be planted as fresh as possible, using a light sandy loam and taking care to avoid over-watering when the young plants appear. When the second leaves have formed, the plants should be potted off and carried along in pots until they are transplanted into permanent positions, since they are somewhat difficult to transplant from the open ground. Planting should be done in late spring.
In California P. guajava frequently suffers from the attacks of the black scale (Saissetia oleae), which must be kept in check by fumigation or spraying. In other countries this plant seems remarkably free from insect pests or fungous diseases, and this is true also of the Cattley guava. The fruits are sometimes injured by the Mediterranean fruit-fly, and a scab has been observed in Brazil which affects them prejudicially. As a rule, however, the plants require little attention. F. W. Popenoe.
'''Adaptation''': The tropical guava is best adapted to the warm climate of Florida and Hawaii, although it can be grown in coastal Southern California, and with some protection, selected areas north to Mendocino County. Guavas actually thrive in both humid and dry climates, but can survive only a few degrees of frost. The tree will recover from a brief exposure to 29° F but may be completely defoliated. Young trees are particularly sensitive to cold spells. Older trees, killed to the ground, have sent up new shoots which fruited 2 years later. Guavas can take considerable neglect, withstanding temporary waterlogging and very high temperatures. They tend to bear fruit better in areas with a definite winter or cooler season. The adaptability of the guava makes it a serious weed tree in some tropical areas. The smaller guava cultivars can make an excellent container specimen.
'''Adaptation''': The tropical guava is best adapted to the warm climate of Florida and Hawaii, although it can be grown in coastal Southern California, and with some protection, selected areas north to Mendocino County. Guavas actually thrive in both humid and dry climates, but can survive only a few degrees of frost. The tree will recover from a brief exposure to 29° F but may be completely defoliated. Young trees are particularly sensitive to cold spells. Older trees, killed to the ground, have sent up new shoots which fruited 2 years later. Guavas can take considerable neglect, withstanding temporary waterlogging and very high temperatures. They tend to bear fruit better in areas with a definite winter or cooler season. The adaptability of the guava makes it a serious weed tree in some tropical areas. The smaller guava cultivars can make an excellent container specimen.