Sunday 18 June 2023

Jungle seeds

 

Jungle seeds


About twenty years ago Barry decided to try growing something a little more unusual and ordered some seeds from ‘Jungle Seeds’. One of the packets contained seeds from Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple guava)

The seeds were duly planted and cosseted and in time one grew and continued to grow. It was evergreen, attractive and undemanding and we expected nothing more from it as the years went by. Last summer, with great excitement, we noticed two pretty flowers on it and wondered if fruits might follow. I have since found out that Feijoa is not usually self-fertile and we haven’t got another to fertilise it, so there is little chance of fruit. We could always eat the flowers, of course.


Here’s what the information from one supplier says:

“If you only have room for one Feijoa tree, plant Unique as it's the only truly self fertile variety. Apart from 'Unique' which is reliably self fertile, all feijoa varieties are only at best partly self fertile. Cross pollination between two (or more) different varieties will ensure good fruit set and fruit quality.”

Our tree is now 8’ tall and this year has several flower buds.

    Flower buds

Feijoa is a native of South America and a member of the myrtle family. It is also common in New Zealand, where it has been grown since the 1920s. Although it is known as pineapple guava or guavasteen, it is not a guava although guava also belongs to the myrtle family.

Flower opening


It is always interesting to grow something different.

12 comments:

  1. I planted one here in the 1980s but we left that home before it became mature, so we never had fruits, although from what you say about fertility, it is unlikely we ever would have.

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    1. Apparently, you can expect flowers/fruit about five years after planting. Ours was a bit late to the party!

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  2. We have a fejoia tree here in the side section of the community gardens, there is only one but it sets fruit and the first year I lived here I tasted a couple and they were niceish, kind of a mix between pineapple and banana, but not so nice that I'd pick baskets of them and since then each year the fruits have been less nice since the drought. The flowers are very pretty though.

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    1. It's a wonder anything survives drought.

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  3. That looks very impressive indeed - such a lovely flower and all those buds!!! xx

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    1. It is pretty, isn't it? Passion flowers are pretty, too, but I've never grown those. x x

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  4. I had never heard of the feijoa until New Zealand friends mentioned it decades ago. It looks like a fig from the outside but sweeter and more juicy.
    I wonder if Australian greengrocers sell them nowadays.

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    Replies
    1. I don't know if they're a commercial proposition.

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  5. Hi Janice - what a fun project ... clever Barry for keeping the Feijoa alive and now over 8 feet ... and gorgeous flowers - wonderful to learn about ... thanks - Hilary

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  6. I'd be very happy to see all the buds ripen into flowers - mustn't be greedy, though, Thank you, Hilary - take care x

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  7. It's always good to have plants and wonderful flowers around.

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  8. It is. They give such pleasure.

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