Guava
Psidium guajava
- Native to:
- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guam, Palau, Paraguay, Peru, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
PumpkinSky
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Myrtaceae
- Genus:
- Psidium
- Species:
- Psidium guajava
- USDA Symbol:
- PSGU
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 1000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
almond moth (Cadra cautella), Carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae), common gray (Anavitrinella pampinaria), Conogethes sp., Cryptoblabes sp., Ello Sphinx (Erinnyis ello), Fig moth (Cadra figulilella), Glover's Bagworm Moth (Cryptothelea gloverii), Mexican leafroller (Amorbia emigratella), Nystalea collaris, Prostomeus brunneus, Snowy Eupseudosoma (Eupseudosoma involutum), Palemon Skipper (Phocides palemon)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Butterflies:Phocides lilea
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, butterflies, small mammals
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Can resprout from the base after top-kill by fire or frost damage.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 7.0 (acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers fertile soils with good organic content
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate best when fresh; germination can be erratic and slow with older seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI