Strawberry Guava

Psidium cattleianum

Basic Information

Family: Myrtaceae

Genus: psidium

Plant ID (slug): psidium-cattleianum

Numeric ID: 26094

USDA Hardiness: 9-12

Ratings

Physical Characteristics

Psidium cattleianum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

Southern S. America - Uruguay, southern and eastern Brazil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Hedge; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Drink Fruit - raw or cooked[1, 3, 61]. The fruit can be used in jellies, jams, custards, drinks etc[183]. Sweet and aromatic. The flavour is more pronounced than that of the yellow strawberry guava but lacks the muskiness of the common guava[183]. The fruit has an agreeable acid-sweet flavour and is good when eaten raw[2, 46], though it can also be used in preserves[177]. The fruit is about 4cm in diameter[200]. Fruit and processed products are traded locally throughout the tropics and subtropics and although the economic importance of P. cattleianum remains low, it can become significant when it is cultivated (e.g. on Réunion). Its cultivation has been tested in Spain (Salinero Corral and Aguin Casal, 1993, 1996) and in Réunion (Normand, 1994, 2002b) where it is now a profitable crop. In contrast to the fruit from P. guajava, P. cattleianum fruit are not rich in vitamin C, with only 11-50 mg per 100 g [1-8].

Medicinal Uses

Antibacterial Antidiarrhoeal Astringent Leaves contain compounds active against antibiotic-resistant strains of Gram-positive bacteria which are important human pathogens. They contain flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and essential oils, mainly b-caryophyllene. Fruit and leaves are used in traditional medicine against haemorrhage, diarrhoea and colic. Leaves are a source of essential oils produced after distillation [1-8].