Practical
Plants

Acca sellowiana

Feijoa

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Acca genus in the family Myrtaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Myrtaceae
Genus
Acca
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
3 m
Spread
3 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[11][2][6]. A delicious aromatic taste, somewhat like a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry[6]. The fruit is best eaten raw but it can also be made into pies, cakes, puddings, jams, jellies etc[6]. Fruits can suffer damage from autumn frosts, though the flavour develops better at low temperatures[8]. The fruit is up to 7.5cm long[8]. Flowers - raw[11][3][4]. The petals are sweet, crisp and delicious, they taste more like a fruit than many fruits[K]. They should be harvested just after they begin to soften[6] (not sure that I agree with this last sentence[K])

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although not very cold hardy in Britain, it resists maritime exposure and can be grown as a shelter hedge in mild maritime areas[200, K].

Ecology and functions

Hedge

Environment

Range
S. America - Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina.
Habitat
Tropical and sub-tropical highlands below 1,000 metres.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Rinse the seed before sowing to ensure there is no fruit flesh remaining since this can inhibit germination. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 15°c[11]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Slow to root[K], but you eventually get a good percentage take[14].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a light loamy well-drained soil[2][8], requiring a warm sunny position[5]. Prefers light shade[9]. Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, even chalk[1][5]. Dislikes extreme alkalinity[9]. Tolerates drought and salt winds[8]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. It grows very well on a west-facing wall at Kew where it often produces fruits, though these do not always ripen[K]. A very good crop of fruit was produced on this plant after the cool summer of 1998, these were not quite ripe at the end of October, but they ripened in storage[K]. Plants have also succeeded in Norfolk and in Scotland when grown against a sunny wall, though some extra protection might be required in very cold winters[10]. Succeeds as a free-standing shrub in Cornwall[1][12]. Tolerates temperatures down to between -12 and -15°c[7] when the plant is fully dormant[8]. Occasionally, and more frequently, being cultivated for its edible fruit in sub-tropical zones[11][13], there are some named varieties[6]. 'Apollo' and 'Mammoth' are cultivars noted for their fruiting propensity[5]. 'Smith' fruits well in the Pacific Northwest and so might be suitable for the mild areas of Britain[183, K]. Fruits only ripen outdoors in Britain in hot summers[11]. Plants rarely set fruit in Britain, perhaps they are self-sterile[2]. Some cultivars are self-fertile whilst others require cross-pollination[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩

  4. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩

  5. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  9. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2

  10. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩

  11. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  12. Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall.

    ↩

  13. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  14. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩

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