PGA (Psidium Growers Association) - thread all about psidiums!

[Jaboticaba45]

Hello everyone,
welcome to the PGA also known as the Psidium Growers Association. These last few years have been filled with new varieties of psidiums, but due to their spot in the meta, there is not much discussion covering these plants. I'm starting this thread to document, discuss, and derive ways to classify, grow, and learn about psidiums (especially the new ones).
I'll go first - here's my psidium eugeniafolia (it is synonym with myrtoides I belive). I've just found a couple flower buds on it so it looks promising. They are fast growers! This one went from a half gallon to a 7 gallon pot rootbound in a year.


Some other interesting psidiums in my collection but not pictured are sartorianum and longipetiolatum.

[K-Rimes]

[K-Rimes]

Pretty sure this is myrtoides, it got severely burnt by snow. The bottom is still fine but don't know how the top will fair.


Orange flesh guajava again, burnt back hard by the snow and frost. I suspect I will lose about 1' on each branch.


Psidium sp, that FancyPlantsLA calls Skittles and Marcos calls Araza Banana? It legitimately tastes like skittles. I have two. This one has not produced but it grows way faster than my other that makes lots of fruit

I like guava in general and want to collect more. I also have a strawberry, lemon, long leaf, guienense, wrinkle leaf (named after a collector I can't recall Jose Jimenez?) and several others I can't recall.

[NateTheGreat]

I have all 4 of Marcos' small ones (pera, banana, johvy, morango), still hoping the fruit are different, but the plants are so similar. His hybrid araza is different for sure. Also growing longipetiolatum, robustum, the orange-fleshed P. guavaja Bellamy was selling from HapaJoe, and a eugeniaefolia somewhere between the size of your two's. And just planted some of these https://www.bellamytrees.com/seeds/p/psidium-sp-laranja

Your Araza banana looks fantastic. Eugeniaefolia is the most cold-sensitive of mine, except maybe P. guavaja, don't know yet. I had two about 2 ft tall and 3 ft wide, but the frost hit them hard last winter (a year ago), and one hasn't really ever recovered. The other one's about back to its previous size. No flowers on any of these yet. Your eugeniaefolia is actually flowering at that size Ryan?? I must need to fertilize more or something.

[hammer524]

Doesn't Marcos call P. robustum banana guava? Thats what I have

[Jaboticaba45]

I have all 4 of Marcos' small ones (pera, banana, johvy, morango), still hoping the fruit are different, but the plants are so similar. His hybrid araza is different for sure. Also growing longipetiolatum, robustum, the orange-fleshed P. guavaja Bellamy was selling from HapaJoe, and a eugeniaefolia somewhere between the size of your two's. And just planted some of these https://www.bellamytrees.com/seeds/p/psidium-sp-laranja

Your Araza banana looks fantastic. Eugeniaefolia is the most cold-sensitive of mine, except maybe P. guavaja, don't know yet. I had two about 2 ft tall and 3 ft wide, but the frost hit them hard last winter (a year ago), and one hasn't really ever recovered. The other one's about back to its previous size. No flowers on any of these yet. Your eugeniaefolia is actually flowering at that size Ryan?? I must need to fertilize more or something.

I've spotted several flower buds. The person I got it from said his were fruiting in 5 gallon pots.

[NateTheGreat]

Nah, this one's different. He also called it Araza banana-limon. "...It may be similar to the araza-johvy, but we cannot confirm that it's Psidium australe or another Psidium exactly. We think it could be Central American, but we cannot affirm it either; the new shoots of leaves are brownish, which can mean that it resists frosts between -3 to -6C."

[CenCalArt]

Does anyone have or will have rooted cuttings for trade I’m looking for
Hong Kong
Lucknow 49
Gushiken
Beaumont
Detweiler
Bassateen el sabahia
Open to suggestions also

[drymifolia]

I've been growing P. longipetiolatum here in Seattle to test winter hardiness.

Last year, one out of two seedlings regrew from the roots in spring with lots of freezing weather and a winter low of 16°F (-8.5°C). I replanted a clone of the one that was killed, to give it one more chance (no backup clone this winter).

This winter has had many more freezing nights, but a winter low of "only" 17°F (-8.3°C). They both look pretty dead, but they did last year, too, and didn't regrow until late spring.

[Jaboticaba45]

I've been growing P. longipetiolatum here in Seattle to test winter hardiness.

Last year, one out of two seedlings regrew from the roots in spring with lots of freezing weather and a winter low of 16°F (-8.5°C). I replanted a clone of the one that was killed, to give it one more chance (no backup clone this winter).

This winter has had many more freezing nights, but a winter low of "only" 17°F (-8.3°C). They both look pretty dead, but they did last year, too, and didn't regrow until late spring.

Mine literally got wrecked after 29f and a bit of snow. Not as hardy as I would have liked. I think you could get by in 8b.

[drymifolia]

I've been growing P. longipetiolatum here in Seattle to test winter hardiness.

Last year, one out of two seedlings regrew from the roots in spring with lots of freezing weather and a winter low of 16°F (-8.5°C). I replanted a clone of the one that was killed, to give it one more chance (no backup clone this winter).

This winter has had many more freezing nights, but a winter low of "only" 17°F (-8.3°C). They both look pretty dead, but they did last year, too, and didn't regrow until late spring.

Mine literally got wrecked after 29f and a bit of snow. Not as hardy as I would have liked. I think you could get by in 8b.

That seems strange to me. Mine withstood multiple nights of freezing temperatures around 25°F with very little damage until the 17°F night, and these were small seedlings. Maybe there's variation among different specimens? If either of mine regrow again I'll maybe clone them to keep in the greenhouse for a few years before going in the ground again.

[W.]

I've been growing P. longipetiolatum here in Seattle to test winter hardiness.

Last year, one out of two seedlings regrew from the roots in spring with lots of freezing weather and a winter low of 16°F (-8.5°C). I replanted a clone of the one that was killed, to give it one more chance (no backup clone this winter).

This winter has had many more freezing nights, but a winter low of "only" 17°F (-8.3°C). They both look pretty dead, but they did last year, too, and didn't regrow until late spring.

Mine literally got wrecked after 29f and a bit of snow. Not as hardy as I would have liked. I think you could get by in 8b.

That seems strange to me. Mine withstood multiple nights of freezing temperatures around 25°F with very little damage until the 17°F night, and these were small seedlings. Maybe there's variation among different specimens? If either of mine regrow again I'll maybe clone them to keep in the greenhouse for a few years before going in the ground again.

I think both weather variation and microclimates could have something to do with the different results seen in your plants. I would be interested to see where each of you planted your longipetiolatums, how long they were exposed to freezing temperatures per night, how much wind there was, and how much winter precipitation you had. All of these things can affect a plant just on the edge of making through a cold night. There are just so many variables.

I'm just glad I didn't plant out any of my longipetiolatums last summer. In December, my area experienced a severe cold snap, and the temperature did not rise above freezing for nearly 100 hours, with a low one night of 2°F. There is no microclimate in any yard that can prevent weather like that from affecting cold-sensitive plants.

[Jaboticaba45]

The leaves of mine all fell off, but the tree recovered.
Anyways, it's probably climate and other factors too. Snow might have influenced something also.

[W.]

I don't have as much of a Psidium collection as some other growers, just some of the standards: a couple of varieties of Psidium guajava, as well as cattleianum, friedrichsthalianum, guineense, longipetiolatum, and striatulum. Good plants. I particularly like striatulum because of its ornamental leaves and compact growth habit. I don't have to battle with it like I sometimes have to with guajava.

[Jaboticaba45]

W,
Yep I agree that guajava is crazy. I mean when I think psidium guava always comes to mind. I have a pink one in my greenhouse in ground and it is a beast. I recently harvested some fruits last year, but since it was first fruits and my desire to fertilize was off, they weren't too sweet. This year, I'm hoping it will flower and give me a decent crop.

What interests me is the fern leaf guava. It's really pretty. I'll have to get a plant for myself.

[drymifolia]

I think both weather variation and microclimates could have something to do with the different results seen in your plants. I would be interested to see where each of you planted your longipetiolatums, how long they were exposed to freezing temperatures per night, how much wind there was, and how much winter precipitation you had. All of these things can affect a plant just on the edge of making through a cold night. There are just so many variables.

Very true. I think one benefit here in the PNW is we never have warm weather in winter, so to the extent any particular plant is protected by "dormancy," everything is usually fully dormant for our freezes.

Here's a temperature chart for my yard for last winter, the one that killed one longipetiolatum seedling and not the other, and both of them were in pretty good shape prior to the December freeze:


Here's the same period this winter, and once again they looked mostly ok until the late December freeze:


This zooms in on the colder of the two freeze events they survived in November:


In terms of precipitation, this is the Pacific NW... it's always soggy in winter, occasionally snowy or sleety. But never dry preceding a freeze like that, usually snowy.

[nattyfroootz]

My kind of thread!
Here's some fruit of P.striatulum (yellow) and P. guajava (green). My fruiting P. striatulum is in a low area of a valley and is often found sitting in a puddle of water after these rains. The soil is incredibly wet and has been for months, Stoked to see this plant is able to withstand cold and super wet roots. Honestly been surprised by all my plantings in this super wet area.  Fruit is pretty sugarless for both varieties right now, sucks when they ripen up when conditions aren't favorable.  Some of the green ones are ripening off the plant but ultimately the plant is dropping all the fruit because conditions are not favorable.

Conjoined P. striatulum

P. striatulum (yellow) and P. longipetiolatum

P. longipetiolatum

[shmojojojo]

I have all 4 of Marcos' small ones (pera, banana, johvy, morango), still hoping the fruit are different, but the plants are so similar. His hybrid araza is different for sure. Also growing longipetiolatum, robustum, the orange-fleshed P. guavaja Bellamy was selling from HapaJoe, and a eugeniaefolia somewhere between the size of your two's. And just planted some of these https://www.bellamytrees.com/seeds/p/psidium-sp-laranja

Your Araza banana looks fantastic. Eugeniaefolia is the most cold-sensitive of mine, except maybe P. guavaja, don't know yet. I had two about 2 ft tall and 3 ft wide, but the frost hit them hard last winter (a year ago), and one hasn't really ever recovered. The other one's about back to its previous size. No flowers on any of these yet. Your eugeniaefolia is actually flowering at that size Ryan?? I must need to fertilize more or something.

I've spotted several flower buds. The person I got it from said his were fruiting in 5 gallon pots.

Nice tree Ryan! You'll have fruits this summer.

Nate, both my eugeniaefolia fruited in under 3 years. Seeds were planted in Jan 2020 with first fruits ripening in Aug 2022. Outside, no protection, but we rarely drop below 40F.
Same batch of seeds (Tradewinds) as Ryan's tree and about the same size. They're ripe when the flesh is crimson red.


 





p. sartorianum is my favorite of the non tropical guavas I've tried so far. Beautiful tree and delicious fruits that turn yellow then almost white as they ripen.






My p.longs in 1gals are also a little beat up from the cold, but they'll be okay. Robustum also struggling a bit, but not as bad.
I also have a couple of those fern leaf guavas folhas de Samambaia in the greenhouse slowly growing in the cold.

Did anybody buy Psidium glaziovianum seeds from Bellamys? I wanted to grab some, but they sold out. Willing to buy or trade for seeds/seedlings if anyone has any.

[drymifolia]

I forgot to mention my guajava seedlings, which also haven't fruited yet at ~3 years from seed. They can hardly even survive the winter in my greenhouse without a lot of dieback, but if I leave them there for the first half of winter until their leaves turn purple, they are very attractive houseplants for the second half of winter:

[Epicatt2]

Hello everyone,
welcome to the PGA also known as the Psidium Growers Association. . . .

H'Lo Jabo,

Is there really a PGA as you state or is it just a cutesy epithet for this discussion topic?

I tried googling that name but nothing came up.

Just curious to know . . .

Paul M.
==

[drymifolia]

p. sartorianum is my favorite of the non tropical guavas I've tried so far. Beautiful tree and delicious fruits that turn yellow then almost white as they ripen.

I haven't heard anything about that one before. When you say "non-tropical" what kind of temperatures can it handle? I assume not 8b lows, maybe it would be happy in my greenhouse though?

And does this taste test sound accurate to you? "If laffy taffy made a pear-banana-guava flavor" is how it's described in this:

https://youtu.be/7JHeeVFS79g

[Jaboticaba45]

Hello everyone,
welcome to the PGA also known as the Psidium Growers Association. . . .

H'Lo Jabo,

Is there really a PGA as you state or is it just a cutesy epithet for this discussion topic?

I tried googling that name but nothing came up.

Just curious to know . . .

Paul M.
==

It was just formed yesterday
What psidiums you grow, Epicatt?

[SDPirate]

Really interested in hearing about the commitment in different zones to make psidiums thrive. In SoCal they are very easy to grow near the coast and inland a bit.  I keep.all my Psidiums outdoor. The regular psidium guavas I have had no issue at all basically all winter long.  The Cas guava though defoliated quite a bit with all this cold rainy winter for us but mine is young and only maybe 1.5 feet tall.  Doesn't seem to matter anyways as its already pushing new growth near the bottom and branches as well.  Cattley guava sprout that I have didn't even figure out it's winter yet.  My other guava sprouts don't really mind coming up in the middle of winter either.

My real interest is in seeing if there are any Psidiums that can pose a bigger challenge for me here (maybe one of those species coming from Cerrado region).

[Epicatt2]

It was just formed yesterday
What psidiums you grow, Epicatt?

Is the PGA going to have it's own website, Jabo?

Psidiums that I have (known/grown) are:

• Psidium x 'Ruby Supreme'
• Psidium goiaba 'Colombian Red'
• Psidium cattleyanuma 'Strawberry'
• Psidium cattleyanum var litttorale 'Lemon Guava'

Haven't got any of them to fruit yet as the P. cattleyanums as still small things.  The P. goiaba  I'm thinking kicked the bucket because I can't locate it.

The x'Ruby Supreme' is in the ground and reached 8 or 9 ft tall and was cut back last month to 4 ft in hopes of encouraging it to bloom and set some fruit.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==

[K-Rimes]

My real interest is in seeing if there are any Psidiums that can pose a bigger challenge for me here (maybe one of those species coming from Cerrado region).

Bellamy has a ton of psidium species in stock right now and I made a cart of them. Haven't pulled trigger yet but am tempted.

I've found that indeed, 9b has its limitations even for psidium and I've experienced some loss this year. Cas Guava is NOT frost tolerant is this year's lesson. Perhaps it will sprout from the roots again but I kind of doubt it. Know to cover it next year.