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'''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.
'''Growth Habit''': Guavas are evergreen, shallow-rooted shrubs or small trees to 33 ft, with spreading branches. Growth in California is rarely over 10 - 12 feet. The bark is smooth, mottled green or reddish brown and peels off in thin flakes to reveal the attractive "bony" aspect of its trunk. The plant branches close to the ground and often produces suckers from roots near the base of the trunk. Young twigs are quadrangular and downy.
'''Foliage''': Guava leaves leaves are opposite, short-petioled, oval or oblong-elliptic, somewhat irregular in outline, 2 - 6 inches long and 1 - 2 inches wide. The dull-green, stiff but leathery leaves have pronounced veins, and are slightly downy on the underside. Crushed leaves are aromatic.
'''Flowers''': Faintly fragrant, the white flowers, borne singly or in clusters in the leaf axils, are 1 inch wide, with 4 or 5 white petals. These petals are quickly shed, leaving a prominent tuft of perhaps 250 white stamens tipped with pale-yellow anthers.
Guavas are primarily self-fruitful, although some strains seem to produce more fruit when cross-pollinated with another variety. Guavas can bloom throughout the year in mild-winter areas, but the heaviest bloom occurs with the onset of warm weather in the spring. The exact time can vary from year to year depending on weather. The chief pollinator of guavas is the honeybee.
'''Fruits''': Guava fruits may be round, ovoid or pear-shaped, 2 - 4 inches long, and have 4 or 5 protruding floral remnants (sepals) at the apex. Varieties differ widely in flavor and seediness. The better varieties are soft when ripe, creamy in texture with a rind that softens to be fully edible. The flesh may be white, pink, yellow, or red. The sweet, musky odor is pungent and penetrating. The seeds are numerous but small and, in good varieties, fully edible. Actual seed counts have ranged from 112 to 535. The quality of the fruit of guavas grown in cooler areas is often disappointing.
{{Inc|
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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==Cultivation==
==Cultivation==
[[Image:Psidium cattleianum.jpg|thumb|Strawberry Guava ''Psidium cattleianum'']]
[[Image:Psidium cattleianum.jpg|thumb|Strawberry Guava ''Psidium cattleianum'']]
