A fast-growing evergreen tree/shrub (3–10 m) with thin coppery bark, opposite leathery leaves, fragrant white flowers, and round to pear-shaped fleshy fruits with numerous seeds.
The guava (Psidium guajava, family Myrtaceae) is an evergreen shrub or small tree 3 to 10 metres tall with an open crown, often low, drooping branches and root suckers, and a short, often crooked trunk 20 to 30 cm across. It is a very popular fruit eaten in many parts of the world, has many traditional medicinal uses, and is grown throughout the tropics and subtropics for its fruit and as an ornamental. It is native to tropical America, from Peru to Mexico and the Caribbean, and it often escapes from cultivation, forming thickets in pastures and plantations.
It is hardy and adaptable, from the humid lowland tropics up to 1,500 metres for fruiting and 2,000 metres for survival, with the highest yields at 23 to 28°C. For good fruiting it needs at least 1,000 mm of rain a year with a clear dry period for the fruit to ripen; fruit that ripens in very wet weather loses flavour and may split. It prefers fertile, moist soil in sun but tolerates many soils, including moderately saline ones, and it is more drought resistant than most tropical fruit crops. It is very easy to raise from seed and often sows itself freely; seedlings tend to resemble their parents and can fruit within three years. It can also be propagated by air layering, cuttings and grafting.
Source: Useful Tropical Plants database (Fern, K.).
Leaves, bark, roots, and fruit used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, diabetes, respiratory issues, wounds, oral health problems, and menstrual disorders, thanks to bioactive compounds like flavonoids and tannins.
Fruits eaten fresh, in salads, juices, jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, and smoothies; young leaves sometimes used as medicinal tea.
Used in traditional medicine and cleansing rituals, leaves as livestock fodder, and wood for tools, posts, firewood, and smoking meat.
Thrives in tropical/subtropical climates, adaptable to various soils, propagated via cuttings, grafting, or seeds, spaced 5–6 m apart, drought-resistant, pruned for fruiting, and begins bearing in 2–3 years.