Feijoa sellowiana Mammoth - Brazilian Guava

Acca sellowiana Mammouth is a variety of Brazilian Guava that produces amazing fruits with exotic flavours. It is a bush that thrives in mild climates, incredibly decorative with its evergreen foliage. The leaves are olive green on top and silver-grey on the underside. In May-June, beautiful flowers appear, elegant and refined, with edible petals. From mid-October, it produces a large fruit, 6 to 7 centimetres (2 to 3 inches) long, weighing 50 to 70 grams, with an ovoid shape. The skin is smooth, thick, firm, and somewhat granulated, with a dark green colour that becomes light green when ripe. The creamy white flesh is firm, juicy, and sweet, with a delicious fragrance reminiscent of pineapple, strawberry, and guava. It contains 20 to 40 small brown seeds. Resistant to diseases and pests, the Feijoa adapts well to hot and dry conditions, 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 Myrtle family, like Eucalyptus, Callistemon, Myrtus, and others. This family of trees and shrubs is 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 tribute to the Portuguese botanist João Da Silva Feijó (1760-1824) who was born in Brazil. It was introduced to France by Edouard André in the 1890s.

The Mammouth variety, also known as Mammoth, originates from New Zealand, like the Coolidge and Triumph varieties. It forms a bush with a bushy, compact, and rounded shape, reaching approximately 3 meters (10 feet) in height and 2 meters (7 feet) in diameter at maturity (around 7 to 10 years old). Its growth is slow during the first years, allowing it to establish itself well. It can be recognized by its numerous branches with brown bark that flakes off as it ages. Its evergreen foliage consists 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 on top and fuzzy silver-gray on the underside. Despite its origins, the bush itself is relatively hardy, tolerating temperatures down to -15°C (5°F) and regrowing from the stump after complete freezing. In mild climates, it blooms on new shoots in May-June. The solitary flowers, 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, open in a corolla with four waxy petals, white on the outside and pinkish-red on the inside. In the center of the flower, numerous bright red stamens with yellow tips (anthers) hold the pollen. The petals have a sweet and slightly sugary taste with a hint of cinnamon and can be eaten. They can be added to salads or used as a garnish for dishes.

It has a remarkably decorative and late flowering period, unaffected by spring frosts. The Mammouth variety is only partially self-sterile or self-incompatible, and the flowers cannot fully self-pollinate. Therefore, the presence of other Feijoa varieties nearby that bloom at the same time is necessary. For example, the Apollo, Coolidge, Gemini, Triumph, or the Feijoa sellowiana type varieties are suitable for cross-pollination, increasing the number of fruits. Although it can be grown in various regions of France, this bush, suited for mild climates, may struggle to flower and produce fruit in very cold climates.

The fruits of Feijoa Mammouth ripen from mid-October. Since they are quite soft, it is best to hand-pick them before they fall from the tree. They can be consumed immediately after harvesting. 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 best enjoyed when the flesh becomes slightly soft. Low in calories, Feijoa is rich in minerals (calcium, phosphorus, and potassium) and particularly high in vitamin C, making it a good antioxidant. When eaten raw, it can be scooped out with a spoon after cutting it in half. In cooking, it can be added to 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 be paired with fish or seafood.

Easy to grow and not very demanding, the Brazilian Guava prefers a sunny location sheltered from cold winds, with rich, fertile, and well-drained soil. It adapts well to coastal conditions and appreciates the mildness, tolerating salt spray. In this type of Mediterranean-style garden, it can be freely planted alongside agaves, opuntias, helichrysums, santolines, or as part of a hedge or flowerbed in combination with griselines, oleanders, eleagnus, callistemon, grevillea, and others. With its exotic and unique fruits, Feijoa finds its place in a fruit garden alongside fig trees, sea buckthorns, kiwis, nashis (Pyrus pyrifolia), and persimmons (Diospyros kaki), or in containers alongside citrus trees. In colder regions, feijoa can be successfully grown in containers to enhance terraces, balconies, or patios.