Overview

Embark on a delightful gardening journey with our strawberry guava live plant, a vibrant addition to any garden or patio. This live starter plant, scientifically known as Psidium Cattleyanum, promises to bring both beauty and delicious fruit to your landscape. Commonly referred to as Cattley guava or cherry guava tree, this small, upright, multi-branched evergreen shrub or tree is celebrated for its attractive foliage and palatable, sweet-tart fruits. Originating from Brazil, this resilient plant adapts well to various environments, making it a popular choice for gardeners across the US. Our well-rooted starter plants are carefully cultivated to ensure a strong beginning for your home orchard or ornamental display. The strawberry guava is a versatile plant, capable of growing as either a bushy shrub or a small tree, offering flexibility in how you integrate it into your outdoor space. Its robust nature and appealing characteristics make it a rewarding plant for both novice and experienced gardeners seeking to grow their own fruit. Knowing how to grow strawberry guava can transform your backyard into an edible oasis.

Key Benefits

Adding a strawberry guava live plant to your garden offers a multitude of benefits, from its aesthetic appeal to its delicious yield. This plant is more than just a fruit producer; it’s a living ornamental that enhances your environment.

• Delicious Edible Fruit: Enjoy a continuous harvest of small, round, red fruits with a sweet and tangy flavor reminiscent of strawberries. These fruits are perfect for fresh eating, jams, jellies, and desserts. Growing your own strawberry guava live plant ensures the freshest, most flavorful produce.
• Attractive Evergreen Foliage: The glossy, dark green leaves provide year-round beauty, making it an excellent choice for a living fence, privacy screen, or an attractive specimen plant. The dense foliage adds lushness to any setting.
• Low Maintenance & Hardy: The Psidium Cattleyanum care requirements are relatively simple, making it suitable for gardeners of all skill levels. It’s known for its hardiness and ability to thrive with minimal intervention once established, resisting many common pests and diseases.
• Versatile Growth Habit: This plant can be maintained as a compact shrub or allowed to grow into a small tree, reaching up to 20 feet tall. This adaptability allows you to shape it to fit your specific garden design and space constraints.
• Cold Tolerance: Unlike many tropical fruit trees, the strawberry guava live plant exhibits good cold hardiness, thriving in USDA Zones 9B and 10. This extends its growing range to many areas that might otherwise be too cool for guava varieties.
• Aromatic Flowers: In spring, the plant produces small, white, fragrant flowers that attract pollinators, adding to the biodiversity and charm of your garden before the fruit even begins to form.
• Health Benefits: The fruits are not only tasty but also packed with Vitamin C and other antioxidants, contributing to a healthy diet directly from your backyard.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper Psidium Cattleyanum care is essential for a thriving plant and abundant fruit production. While generally low-maintenance, understanding its specific needs will ensure optimal growth. This cattley guava plant prefers a location that receives full sun to partial sun. Ideally, it should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for the best fruit yield, though it can tolerate some afternoon shade in hotter climates. When it comes to watering, the strawberry guava prefers consistently moist soil, especially during its establishment phase and during fruiting. However, it is crucial to avoid waterlogging, as this can lead to root rot. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Once established, it becomes more drought-tolerant but will perform best with regular irrigation.

For soil, a well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.0) is ideal. Amending heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost or sand can improve drainage. Fertilize your strawberry guava live plant with a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring, and again mid-summer if needed, especially during active growth and fruiting. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of fruit. This plant is cold hardy and thrives in USDA Zones 9B or anywhere in Zone 10. In colder parts of these zones, providing some winter protection or planting in a sheltered location can be beneficial. Pruning can be done to maintain its shape, control size, and encourage more fruit production. Prune after fruiting, removing any dead, diseased, or crossing branches. To grow strawberry guava successfully, monitoring for common pests like fruit flies or aphids and addressing them promptly with organic solutions like neem oil will help maintain plant health. Providing good air circulation also helps prevent fungal issues.

Size & Details

This offering is for a strawberry guava live plant starter, measuring approximately 5-9 inches tall from the base of the plant to the tip of its tallest stem. These plants are well-rooted and ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. They will be shipped without a pot to minimize shipping costs and environmental impact, ensuring the plant arrives safely and compactly. As a moderate grower, your Psidium Cattleyanum will gradually establish itself, with noticeable growth occurring within the first year. When mature, it can reach heights of up to 20 feet if grown as a tree, or can be kept smaller as a shrub with regular pruning. Expect to see flowers and potentially fruit within 1-3 years, depending on growing conditions and care. The plant’s leaves are oblong, typically 2-4 inches long, and a vibrant dark green, providing excellent visual appeal even before fruiting begins. To grow strawberry guava effectively, select a location that allows for its mature size or plan for regular pruning to maintain your desired dimensions. This cattley guava plant is a long-term investment in fresh, home-grown fruit.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this strawberry guava live plant get? A: This starter plant is 5-9 inches tall upon arrival. When mature, it can grow up to 20 feet tall if allowed to grow as a tree, or it can be maintained as a smaller shrub with regular pruning. Its final size largely depends on your growing conditions and how you choose to manage its growth.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The strawberry guava live plant is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 9B and 10. However, it can be grown in a large container and brought indoors during colder months in regions outside its hardiness zone, provided it receives adequate light.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This plant prefers full sun to partial sun. For best fruit production, aim for at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In very hot climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent leaf scorch, ensuring optimal Psidium Cattleyanum care.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: Yes, the Psidium Cattleyanum care requirements are relatively straightforward. It is considered a moderately easy plant to grow, making it a good choice for beginners looking to grow fruit trees. Its resilience and adaptability contribute to its beginner-friendly nature. Learning to grow strawberry guava is a rewarding experience.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: You will receive a well-rooted starter plant, 5-9 inches tall, shipped without a pot. It will be carefully packaged to ensure it arrives in healthy condition, ready for planting upon arrival.
• Q: How long until it fruits? A: Typically, a strawberry guava live plant grown from a starter can begin to produce fruit within 1 to 3 years after planting, depending on care, climate, and growing conditions. Consistent care and proper sunlight will encourage earlier fruiting.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This plant is cold hardy and will survive winters outdoors in USDA Zones 9B and 10. If you are in a colder zone, you will need to provide winter protection or grow it in a container that can be moved indoors during freezing temperatures to protect your cattley guava plant.
• Q: What does cherry guava tree taste like? A: The fruit of the cherry guava tree, also known as strawberry guava, has a sweet and tangy flavor profile, often described as a blend between a strawberry and a traditional guava. It’s highly aromatic and makes for excellent fresh eating or culinary uses.
• Q: What is the best way to grow strawberry guava from a starter? A: Upon arrival, plant your strawberry guava live plant in well-draining soil in a location with full to partial sun. Water regularly to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Protect from extreme cold during its first winter if you are at the colder end of its hardiness range.