🍈 Guava
Psidium guajava
Tropical perfume in fruit form.
Sun
Full sun, 6+ hrs
Days to harvest
2–4 years from grafted tree
Spacing
10–15 feet apart
Soil pH
5.5–7.0
How to grow
Plant after frost danger in the sunniest spot available — guava is gloriously unfussy about soil as long as it drains. In North Florida it may freeze to the ground and resprout; treat it as a dieback perennial there and a small tree in the south. 'Mexican Cream' and 'Ruby Supreme' are proven Florida varieties.
Water & feeding
Regular water while young; established trees handle dry spells but fruit better with steady moisture.
Common problems
- Fruit flies love it as much as you do
- Root-knot nematodes in sand
- Freeze dieback north of zone 9b
Harvest
Pick when fragrant and yielding slightly to pressure — the smell will tell you before your eyes do.
Nerdy fact: Guava is in the myrtle family, making it botanical cousins with eucalyptus and allspice — which explains why the leaves smell like a spice cabinet had a baby with a flower shop.