Feijoa sellowiana Apollo - Brazilian Guava

The Brazilian Guava or Acca sellowiana Apollo is a small fruit tree that has many advantages. In regions with mild climates, it is easy to integrate it into Mediterranean-style gardens or in a garden with other fruit trees, or in a garden with an exotic or tropical style. In colder regions, it retains all its interests in sheltered exposure or when grown in pots. After a flowering composed of superb flowers with partially edible petals, this variety produces low-calorie fruits, creamy, with amazing flavors. It is appreciated as soon as it is harvested, in the making of delicious desserts or cooked in jams, compotes, jellies, pastries, etc. From mid-October, it produces a large fruit, 6 to 7 centimetres (2 to 3 inches) long, weighing 60 to 80 grams, oval-shaped, elongated. The skin is smooth, thick, firm and grainy, pruinose, dark green, becoming light green when ripe. The creamy white flesh is firm, juicy and sweet, deliciously flavored with pineapple, strawberry and guava, containing 20 to 40 small brown seeds. Not very sensitive to diseases and pests, the Feijoa adapts well to hot and dry conditions, it is easy to grow and requires little maintenance.

The Brazilian Guava, sometimes called Montevideo Guava, Pineapple Guava or False Guava, in Latin Acca or Feijoa sellowiana, belongs to the Myrtaceae family, like Eucalyptus, Callistemon, Myrtus, ... A family of trees and shrubs, widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, South America and Asia. The Feijoa is native to South America (Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay) and the name 'Feijoa' was given in 1859 by Otto Karl Berg (1815-1866), a German botanist, in homage to the Portuguese botanist João Da Silva Feijó (1760-1824) born in Brazil. It was introduced to France by Edouard André in the 1890s.

The Apollo variety forms a bushy, compact and rounded bush, reaching, at adulthood (around 7 to 10 years), approximately 3 metres (10 feet) in height, with a diameter of about 2 metres (7 feet). Its growth, quite slow in the first years, allows it to establish itself well. It is recognisable by its numerous branches, with brown bark that flakes off as it ages. Its evergreen foliage is composed of tough, elliptical, opposite leaves, 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2in) long and 2 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) wide, with prominent veins, olive green, with a velvety, silver-grey underside. Despite its origins, the bush itself is relatively hardy, down to -15°C, regrowing from the stump when completely frozen. In mild climates, it flowers on the young shoots, in May-June. The flowers, solitary, 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, bloom in a wide corolla with 4 waxy petals, white on the reverse and pinkish-red on the inside. In the centre of the flower, numerous bright red stamens gather, with yellow tips (anthers) that carry the pollen. The petals, with a sweet and slightly sugary flavour, with a hint of cinnamon, have the particularity of being edible. They can be added to salads or used to decorate dishes. It is a remarkably decorative and late flowering that is not afraid of spring frosts.

The Apollo variety is only partially self-sterile or self-incompatible, the flowers cannot fully fertilize themselves. That is why the presence of other Feijoa varieties, nearby, whose flowering occurs at the same time, is necessary. For example, the varieties Mammouth, Coolidge, Gemini, Triumph or the Feijoa sellowiana type, are suitable for cross-pollination, thus increasing the number of fruits. It can produce from 10 to 20 kg of fruit per year. Although it can be grown in multiple regions of France, this bush, which prefers mild climates, may have difficulty flowering and producing fruit in a too cold climate. 

The fruits of the Apollo feijoa ripen from mid-October. Being quite soft, it is best to hand-pick them before they fall from the tree. They can be consumed as soon as they are harvested. Their shelf life is relatively short, about 10 days in the bottom of the refrigerator or 3 to 4 days at room temperature. They are excellent to eat when the flesh becomes slightly soft. Low in calories, feijoa is rich in minerals (calcium, phosphorus and potassium) and particularly rich in vitamin C, making it a good antioxidant. When eaten raw, it can be enjoyed with a spoon after being cut in half. In cooking, it can be incorporated into salads with other fruits, used to make sorbets, smoothies or chutneys. Cooked, feijoas are used to make jams, compotes, jellies or pies. They can also accompany fish or seafood.

Easy to grow and not demanding, the Brazilian Guava prefers a sunny exposure sheltered from cold winds, a rich, fertile and well-draining soil. Adapting well to coastal conditions, it is a bush that appreciates the mildness, capable of withstanding sea spray and salt. In this type of garden, with a Mediterranean style, it can be freely integrated with agaves, opuntia, helichrysum, santolina, etc. or composed as a free hedge or in a bed, in association with griseline, oleander, eleagnus, callistemon, grevillea, etc. With its exotic and original fruits, the feijoa finds its place in a fruit garden alongside fig trees, sea buckthorn, kiwis, nashis (Pyrus pyrifolia), kaki (Diospyros kaki) or in pots next to citrus trees. For a more exotic or tropical atmosphere, the Brazilian Guava blends nicely with banana trees, palm trees and yuccas. For regions with colder climates, the feijoa will behave very well when grown in pots to enhance terraces, balconies or patios.