Guava 'Madeira'
Psidium guajava 'Madeira'
Full Sun
Moderate care
Moderate watering
Half-hardy
H3
RHS hardiness
-5°C
Minimum temperature
Expected size
Height | Spread | |
|---|---|---|
3m | Max | 6m |
2m | Min | 5m |
Fruiting
-
spring
-
summer
-
autumn
-
winter
Fruits are harvested in winter months. Harvest the fruit when the color changes from green to more yellow and the fruit softens. Pick by hand and use within a day or 2. Guavas do not have a long shelf life.
Guava 'Madeira' Overview
A highly ornamental tree, the Guava 'Madeira' with its evergreen leaves and delicious round yellow fruit brings life and beauty to any garden. A great addition to edible gardens, the highly aromatic fruit with its sweet pink flesh and many seeds is enjoyed by all. Not only ornamental and edible, the Guava 'Madeira' is known for being high in antioxidant properties and various other health benefits.
Common problems with Guava 'Madeira'
Pests include fruit flies (Anastrepha, Ceratitis, Dacus and Argyresthia), scales, mealy bugs, thrips, leaf-eating caterpillars and the false codling moth. Diseases include soil fungi, root rot caused by Phytophthora spp., anthracnose, blossom-end rot, Mucor rot, and fruit canker.
How to propagate Guava 'Madeira'
Seed
Seeds remain viable for many months. A minimum of 4-6 weeks before any possible germination. Sprouting can take 3-8 weeks. Make sure you plant seeds in warm soil.
Suckers
Vegetative reproduction from root suckers is common.
Cuttings
Root cuttings, 12 to 20 cm long, are placed flat in a prepared bed and covered with 5 to 10cm of soil which must be kept moist.
Special features of Guava 'Madeira'
Attracts useful insects
Insects such as honeybees.
Drought resistant
Relatively drought-resistant once well-established.
Repels harmful insects
Oil extract from guava leaves have insecticidal properties.
Pot plant
A good pot plant if size is kept small, properly pruned it does not exceed the height of 3m. It is a tough plant that can also be grown in containers. Make sure the container has sufficient drainage.
Other uses of Guava 'Madeira'
Medicinal
Leaves are potent antiglycation agents, thus made into a tea is used for Diabetes. Very high in nutritional value and vitamins.
Edible
The fruits are eaten fresh, sugar or salt added, or used to make smoothies, juices, ice creams, puddings, cakes and even liquors.