Overview

Introduce a unique and delightful specimen to your garden with the blueberry guava live plant (Luma apiculata). This charming evergreen shrub, also widely known as Chilean Myrtle plant or Arrayan, originates from the Central Andes between Chile and Argentina. It’s renowned for its elegant appearance, fragrant blooms, and delectable fruits, making it a fantastic addition for both ornamental beauty and edible harvesting. Our blueberry guava live plant arrives as a healthy 2-foot tall specimen, carefully nurtured in a 3-gallon pot, ensuring it’s ready to thrive in its new home. This plant offers year-round interest with its glossy foliage, showy flowers, and seasonal fruit production, transforming any outdoor space into a vibrant and productive haven.

The Luma apiculata is a versatile and attractive shrub that adds a touch of exotic elegance to any landscape. Its distinctive cinnamon-colored bark, which peels to reveal creamy patches beneath, provides visual interest even when the plant is not in flower or fruit. This robust plant is perfect for enthusiasts seeking a resilient and rewarding species that combines aesthetic appeal with practical benefits. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting, the blueberry guava live plant promises to be a captivating and fruitful addition to your collection, offering a taste of the Andes right in your backyard.

Key Benefits

The blueberry guava live plant offers a multitude of benefits, making it an excellent choice for a variety of garden styles and purposes. From its ornamental value to its delicious fruit, this plant is a true garden gem.

• Fragrant Blooms: In late spring to early summer, the shrub produces abundant clouds of highly fragrant white flowers. These delicate blossoms not only add beauty but also attract pollinators, enhancing your garden’s biodiversity.
• Delicious Edible Fruit: Following the flowers, small, dark purple fruits ripen, offering a sweet and resinous flavor. These berries are perfect for fresh eating, jams, jellies, or desserts, providing a unique culinary experience.
• Evergreen Foliage: Enjoy lush, glossy green leaves year-round. As an evergreen, the Chilean Myrtle plant maintains its vibrant appearance even through colder months, providing continuous visual appeal and structure to your landscape.
• Attractive Bark: The distinctive, peeling cinnamon-colored bark of the luma apiculata shrub adds unique textural interest to the garden, especially during winter when other plants may be dormant.
• Versatile Landscaping: Suitable for hedges, specimen plantings, or part of an edible landscaping plant design. Its moderate size and attractive features make it adaptable to various garden roles.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, this plant is relatively low-maintenance, requiring average water and thriving in a range of sun exposures, making it ideal for busy gardeners.
• Wildlife Attraction: The flowers attract beneficial insects, while the fruits are a favorite of birds, contributing to a healthy and active garden ecosystem.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your blueberry guava live plant is straightforward, allowing you to enjoy its beauty and bounty with minimal effort. This resilient shrub adapts well to various conditions, but providing optimal care will ensure vigorous growth and abundant fruit production. Understanding its needs for light, water, and soil will help your Chilean Myrtle plant thrive.

For sunlight, the Luma apiculata prefers full sun to part shade. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can protect it from intense heat, while in cooler regions, full sun encourages better flowering and fruiting. Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. When it comes to watering, this plant requires average water. It prefers consistently moist, but not waterlogged, soil. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out between waterings, especially during dry spells. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot, so ensure your planting site or pot has excellent drainage.

The luma apiculata shrub thrives in well-draining soil. A loamy, slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.0) is ideal. When planting in a pot, use a high-quality potting mix that offers good aeration and drainage. Fertilize sparingly; a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer applied in spring is usually sufficient. Avoid over-fertilization, which can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers and fruit. Pruning can be done to maintain shape or size, typically after fruiting. This edible landscaping plant is generally hardy in USDA zones 8-10, tolerating mild frosts. Protect younger plants from severe cold spells. Watch out for common pests like aphids, though they are rarely a serious problem. Good air circulation and proper watering can help prevent most issues.

Size & Details

This offering is for one healthy blueberry guava live plant, specifically a Luma apiculata, that stands approximately 2 feet tall from the base of the plant to its highest point. It is carefully rooted and shipped in a sturdy 3-gallon nursery pot, ensuring the root system is well-established and ready for transplanting. The plant’s mature size typically reaches 10-15 feet in height and 6-10 feet in width, though it can be maintained smaller with regular pruning, making it a versatile choice for various garden sizes and designs. The growth rate is moderate, allowing you to observe its development over time without it becoming unruly too quickly. Expect flowers to appear in late spring to early summer, followed by fruit ripening in late summer to fall. This fragrant flower shrub is delivered ready to plant, either directly into your garden or into a larger decorative container.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Blueberry Guava plant get? A: This blueberry guava live plant is currently 2 feet tall in a 3-gallon pot. It can ultimately grow to 10-15 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide, but its size can be managed with pruning.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Chilean Myrtle plant is primarily an outdoor shrub, best suited for gardens in USDA zones 8-10. In colder climates, it can be grown in a container and brought indoors during winter.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This luma apiculata shrub thrives in full sun to part shade, ideally receiving at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Afternoon shade is beneficial in hot climates.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the blueberry guava live plant is considered relatively low-maintenance once established, requiring average watering and minimal fertilization. It’s a good choice for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your plant will arrive healthy, 2 feet tall, and securely rooted in a 3-gallon nursery pot, carefully packaged to minimize stress during transit.
• Q: Can I eat the fruits of the Blueberry Guava? A: Absolutely! The small, dark purple fruits are edible and have a sweet, resinous flavor, making this an excellent edible landscaping plant.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this shrub? A: The best time to plant your blueberry guava live plant is in spring or early fall, allowing it to establish its root system before extreme temperatures.
• Q: What kind of soil does it prefer? A: It prefers well-draining, loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Good drainage is key to preventing root issues.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This plant is cold-hardy in USDA zones 8-10. If you are in a colder zone, consider providing winter protection or growing it in a container that can be moved indoors.
• Q: Does this plant attract pollinators? A: Yes, the fragrant white flowers of the fragrant flower shrub are very attractive to bees and other pollinators, contributing to a healthy garden ecosystem.