Psidium cattleianum
| Psidium cattleianum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 20' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Psidium cattleianum (common name: strawberry guava)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. If trying the plants outdoors, plant them out in the summer and give them some protection from winter cold for at least their first two winters.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained sandy loam with leafmold[1].
Requires cool greenhouse treatment in Britain[1]. Tolerates short-lived light frosts[2] and cool summers[3] so it might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. Dislikes much humidity.
Sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[4].
Range: S. America - Brazil.
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[1][3][5]. The fruit can be used in jellies, jams, custards, drinks etc[4]. Sweet and aromatic. The flavour is more pronounced than that of the yellow strawberry guava but lacks the muskiness of the common guava[4]. The fruit has an agreeable acid-sweet flavour and is good when eaten raw[6][7], though it can also be used in preserves[8]. The fruit is about 4cm in diameter[2].
Usage: Grown as a hedge in warm temperate climates[2].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: P. cattleianum. Salisb.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.